


Bonnie Darko

by plumblue



Category: Legacies (TV 2018), The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Crack, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Dubious Morality, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, MINOR Tyler Lockwood/ Vicki Donovan, Minor Caroline Forbes/Matt Donovan, Minor Elena Gilbert/Stefan Salvatore, Morally Grey Bonnie Bennett, Witch Bonnie Bennett, because bonnie and tyler are both idiots, but all canon pairs will come, may have some character bashing, this will be sloooow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:22:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25487695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plumblue/pseuds/plumblue
Summary: Bonnie decides to undo a wrong, done by a friend to another friend(?!). Tyler says, "No! We are done sticking out your neck for things you don't need to!" Unfortunately, a spell is involved. And they get to restart at Hell. Ahem, their teenage years... Too bad both of them are disaster Bis and done with Twilight-Lite. God save Mystic falls
Relationships: Bonnie Bennett & Caroline Forbes, Bonnie Bennett & Elena Gilbert, Bonnie Bennett & Stefan Salvatore, Bonnie Bennett & Tyler Lockwood, Bonnie Bennett/Tyler Lockwood, Matt Donovan & Tyler Lockwood
Comments: 15
Kudos: 39





	1. The night of the comet

Bonnie stumbled out of the cab and waved. The cabbie gave her the thousand yard stare before driving away. Poor soul.They didn’t even question why a drunk lady was going to the old cemetery. As the only cab service in Mystic Falls, they must have seen some things.

Bonnie blew a puff of breath. The cold numbed her hands. She shuffled through the graveyard squinting in the dark. She would sometimes stop at familiar names, raising her bottle in salute. Finally she reached the grave she had been looking for.

“Hey Tyler! Happy Birthday” Bonnie hiccuped. She sat down between Tyler and Carol’s graves. “Sorry, I wasn't able to pick a gift for you. I couldn’t remember your favorite color”, Bonnie laid her head on Carol’s gravestone.

“We can do something else instead. You remember we used to play this game, 2 truths 1 lie? Let’s do it”, Bonnie gulped some bourbon. “You wanna go first? No? I’ll go first. I am straight. I’m dying of cancer. I hate being a witch. Go on. Spot the lie,” Bonnie crooned.

“That’s easy”, Bonnie jumped at the voice. Tyler folded himself to sit down beside Bonnie . He looked young and old at the same time. Bonnie grinned at him. The perpetual Peter Pan. Perks of dying young, she guessed. 

“You love being a witch” Tyler said with confidence. When he had been alive their lives had been so chaotic. He had never thought about how Bonnie felt about her heritage. And she had been protecting a town full of great grand kids of slave owners and witch burners.

“ I hated it. With all my heart,” Bonnie confessed, “You see, witches come into their powers pretty early. Like, in-the-womb early.  Somebody had the brilliant idea to curse and bind my powers. When the comet passed, my powers flared up in spite of it. I didn't even know of my curse till Luis’ mama dragged me to their shaman for a cleansing”, Bonnie told.

Tyler frowned , “Was that why you tired out every time you used magic?” Bonnie snorted, “Tired out? I straight up died a couple of times, Tyler.” Tyler shrugged, “Wait. Who’s Luis?” Bonnie sighed , “Only the cutest witch in all Brazil. He was such a sweetheart. Did you know he wanted to marry me? I actually felt bad when I broke up with him.”

“Then why did you break up with him?” Tyler wished he had checked up on Bonnie more. Matt had been his top priority. That dratted school attracted all sorts of monsters and more often than not, Matt was in the line of fire. Tyler couldn’t believe Klaus’ daughter, Hope, had become the hero of the town. The irony.

Tyler once ran into Klaus’s ghost. Matt had gone to Hope’s birthday party. Tyler wanted to make sure Matt didn’t become some creature’s dinner. He didn’t count on Klaus hanging around Hope, the same way Tyler circled Matt. Klaus had taken one look at Tyler, cleared his throat and wandered off. Talk about awkward encounters of the century.

“He and his family are light witches,Ty. They use magic as a force of creation. Their magic nourishes and heals. You remember how I used mine? Turns out using dark magic leaves a taint. Compared to theirs, my magic is poison,” Bonnie gave a mirthless chuckle .

“But”, Tyler started and stopped himself. The Mystic Falls Gang had done some shady things with Bonnie's magic as their back up.  They played judge, jury and executioner with every supernatural creature that passed through town . He felt guilty that it had taken such a huge toll on Bonnie's magic.

"I'm sorry," Tyler offered. Bonnie laughed and shook her head. "Wasn't your fault. It was nobody's fault but mine. God. I was so stupid. Did you know? Channeling huge powers, like a hundred dead witches, stunts a witch's normal magic. I sure didn't," Bonnie mused.

"Or, or, you remember my Expression days? Turns out Expression, if used  properly , after years of training, CAN bring back the dead. I was trying that trick after, like, two days of reading about it," Bonnie sounded incredulous. She had been quite the specialist in 'act first, think later', back then.

“Hey now, we’re still playing, aren’t we?”, Tyler reminded Bonnie. She looked like she could rant about her magical misadventures all night. “Yeah, go ahead”, Bonnie guzzled more bourbon.

“Slow down, Bon. You’re going to choke”, Tyler scolded as he thought back to the statements. “ You don’t have cancer, do you?”, Tyler ventured. Bonnie could not have cancer. Do witches even get cancer?

Bonnie made a buzzer sound, “Wrong Mr. Lockwood. I’m as straight as a spaghetti in hot water. All that loyalty I claimed for Elena? I was in freaking love with her. Wow. I was a goddamn disaster bi. Can you believe?”

“Not worse than me,” Tyler mumbled. “I knew it!” Bonnie exclaimed, “ Who was it? It was Matt, wasn’t it? No… Jeremy?!?! Don’t tell me it was Klaus!” Tyler coughed, “Matt is like a brother to me. It might have been the sire bond. But. I thought Klaus was pretty hot. And then he went and destroyed my life.”

Bonnie was shook. Klaus and Tyler? Wild. If only Klaus hadn’t forced Tyler to become his slave. And bite Caroline, almost killing her. And 'court' Caroline. And murder Tyler’s pack. And drown Tyler's mother. Bonnie winced. Klaus had ruined everything.

Bonnie hummed, “Well. You and Jeremy would have made a cute couple. You know, if you had stopped pulling his pigtails and told him how you felt, instead.” Tyler nodded. He felt the same. They sat in silence for a moment, watching the stars.

“ You have cancer?” Tyler sounded devastated. Bonnie waved her hand, “Not a big deal.” Tyler stood up, “What the hell, Bennett? When did you know? HAVE YOU TOLD ANYONE? How long do you have?” Tyler wanted to shake some sense into Bonnie.

Bonnie heaved a sigh and drank some more. Why do boys have to be so dramatic? “It’s too late Lockwood. Chronic pain fucks up your threshold. After being the anchor, I’d learned to ignore it. Then I thought it was heartburn. Kidney stones. Muscle sprain. Period cramps gone bad”, Bonnie smiled to herself. She found excuse after excuse till she couldn’t ignore it.

“ I must be going through magical exhaustion. I could  be hexed . Turns out cancer pulled a fast one. Went to the doctor last week when my back pain got so bad, I was crawling on the floor”, Bonnie wondered.

“Does Caroline know? Jeremy? Elena? Damon? This Luis guy?”, Tyler was distraught. Did nobody care what happened to Bonnie? “They all have their own lives to live, Ty. I don’t want to destroy their happiness by dragging them into my drama,” Bonnie said.

Bonnie shook her head, “Besides, I don’t have long, Ty. The doctor advised me to move into hospice care soon as possible”. Tyler seemed to deflate. “Why can’t you heal yourself with magic?” he asked.

Bonnie shook her head, “Traditional magic is kinda hard to do when you're sick. I have made enemies with spirits And witches generally refuse to help me, when they learn who I am. Our gang is very famous. Or infamous.  We raised Silas, killed entire witch covens, murdered wolf packs and committed vampire genocide on two sire lines .”

He went to sit by Bonnie’s side again. “You need to spend some time with the living , then, Bon. I’ll be here. Waiting for you when you come over,” he offered with a smile. Bonnie glanced at her watch, “There's a comet passing tonight. Quite a powerful one.” Tyler rolled his eyes. Why was she trying to deflect even now?

“And it’s your birthday! So”,Bonnie trailed off. Tyler narrowed his eyes, “So?” “I’m going to give you the best gift ever, Ty. I’m going to bring you back!” Bonnie got up and swayed. “Bonnie! No! Hell, you don't even have power any more”, Tyler pointed out.

“But I have Expression,” Bonnie looked like a mad scientist. “It will kill you, Bonnie,” Tyler reasoned. “FYI? I’m already dying,” Bonnie retorted with glee. She swept her hand. Tyler’s coffin rose in the air and landed open with a thud.

Cutting her palm, Bonnie dribbled blood on top of Tyler's corpse. Tyler  was torn . He was at peace. But he also wanted to live. He wanted to be able to hang out with Matt. Go vampire hunting with Jeremy. Meet Caroline and her daughters.

Bonnie did have a point. She was dying . Could he let her sacrifice her last breath for him? Didn’t she deserve to have a happy ending? Tyler spied a trail of fire at the west corner of the sky. Bonnie started chanting.

Bonnie gave up everything for their gang. Her magic. Her family. Her life. Her love. If he let her do this, Tyler would be no better than, say, the Salvatores. Or the Mikaelsons. Decision made, Tyler strode forward and yanked Bonnie’s hand away from his coffin, “No”.

Bonnie watched in horror as her blood splashed on them both. She hissed, “Idiot. You..” Before she could finish, the comet passed above their heads. A flash of light and they were both gone


	2. Back to the Future

“Get up girlie. I have made dinner”, the voice sounded familiar. Bonnie groaned. Her neck was killing her and she smelled...incense? Her eyes snapped open.

On TV, some bald guy was gushing about the comet that was going to cross the skies four days after. “That comet is the harbinger of evil, I tell you. Last time it flew over our heads, there was only death in this town,” Grams muttered. Bonnie watched as she puttered around the dining table.

How? Her eyes landed on a wall calendar. September 2009. It can’t be. Her spell ought to bring someone back to _life_ . Not send them back in _time_. But Tyler had gone and messed it up. She must be dreaming, recalling her past life or something.

She looked down at herself. Solid red t-shirt and ill fitting boyfriend jeans. Bonnie winced at her fashion sense. Back then, she had been intent on emulating Elena’s style. She had forgotten how _frumpy_ it made her look.

Her palms and wrists were clear and unlined. Bonnie decided, she was never cutting herself to do magic ever again. She jumped up from the couch. “God, I was so flexible”, she moaned. No twinges of pain if she moved wrong. No frozen joints. No old scars : magical or murderous.

“Bonnie, are you alright?” Grams sounded confused. “Never better. Grams!”, Bonnie gulped, “I’m so glad you are alive. I mean, here. I mean. Ugh. You know what I mean” Grams blinked at her. Bonnie jumped on Grams hugging her with all her might, “Did I tell you how much I love you?” Grams laughed, “Crazy girl.”

Bonnie laughed with her . Nothing mattered. Either she had time traveled . Or everything had been a horrible and elaborate nightmare. But that wasn’t going to stop Bonnie from devouring Sheila’s delicious meatloaf.

______

Tyler woke up to someone kissing his neck. He shook his head. Must be muscle memory. Ghosts can’t feel things. "Hey big guy”, a husky voice teased his ear. Tyler felt a pair of feminine hands grab his chest, “You passed out. I didn’t know I could blow your mind so hard .”

Tyler jerked awake and away from the girl. What the hell? He fell down between car seats. Car seats?! Where was he? And that girl. “Vicki?” Tyler exclaimed, “What are you doing here?” Vicki the ghost had moved on a long time ago.

Vicki’s face morphed from satisfaction to anger. He noted their state of dress. They had been having sex in the back of a car? He hadn’t done that since. Oh. Oh God. That wasn’t possible. Time travel wasn’t a THING. Nope. Tyler quelled the panic attack and tried to listen to what Vicki was saying.

“...ways. Always. Why do I let you do this to me? You treat me like a piece of ass. Is that all I am to you?” Vicki swiped at her eyes. “I’d be better off dating Jeremy instead of a spineless coward like you”, she grouched as she adjusted her clothes.

Tyler rubbed the sore spot on his back and ignored the spike of irritation. “What day is it?” He pulled up his pants and climbed onto the seat. “Right. Another excuse”, Vicki said. She mimicked a deeper voice, “I’m sorry Vicki. Tomorrow is the first day of school and I’m so tense. I need to keep up my reputation!”

“Was that supposed to be my voice?” Tyler asked. He fumbled with his coat pulling out his phone. It was an ancient Nokia. Tyler would like to pretend none of it was happening . But all evidence pointed the other way. Including the date on his phone.

He pulled at his hair. Why? Then he remembered. The comet. The spell... Bonnie. She would know what was going on. He scrolled through his contacts trying to locate her number. And cursed. He didn’t have her number. Before the mystic falls gang, they ran in different social circles.

Vicki snatched his phone, “I can’t believe it! I’m sitting right here and you are trying to call another chick!” Tyler sighed in frustration . “That’s not, No,” he tried to make her understand. Then stopped himself. 

Vicki was giving him a golden opportunity. In his previous life, Tyler had never had the opportunity to make up to Vicki. He could make it right, this time. And the best thing to do was letting her go, instead of stringing her along.

“You are right, Vick. We should break up”, Tyler said. Vicki gaped at him. Tyler explained, “Look. I know you slept with Jeremy”. Vicki panicked and tried to cover it up, “So you are going to accuse me of cheating now? You are the one who wanted an open relationship!”

“I'm not accusing you of anything! This isn’t working. We both want different things.” He took a deep breath, “You wanted someone who treated you better than me. I understand. Go for it.”

Vicki clutched his arm, “Then treat me better! Tyler, please, I love you.” Tyler got out of her hold and into the driver seat, “No Vicki. You don’t. If we loved each other, we would have changed for each other. We would have fought for each other.”

Tyler turned to Vicky, “But in this, you have been doing all the heavy lifting. The fighting. The apologizing. The forgiving. You need someone who can treat you like the great girl you are.”

Vicki stared at him before whispering, “You think you know what I want? You are so high and mighty! If anyone here has issues, it is you Tyler. You are the one who is afraid of daddy . You are the one who is angry your mommy won’t save you from daddy.” Tyler said, “Ouch.”

Tyler sneered, “And you have such a picture perfect family life. Do you know where your dad is? What about your mom? Which boyfriend is she with , now? Pete? Jack? Derek?” Vicky slapped him across the face. For a moment, neither said anything.

Tyler rubbed his cheek. He was furious. He never took well to physical blows. A part of him wanted to respond with violence. He knew what he said was way over the line. But Vicky had started it. “I’m taking you home,” Tyler announced. Vicki scoffed and turned away from him.

The car was silent all the way to Donovan’s. Tyler caught Vicki sniffling once in a while. He offered her tissues which she ignored. Matt walked out the door on hearing the car approach.

Vicki slammed out of the car and into the house , ignoring Matt. Tyler got out and went up to Matt. “What’s up with her?”, Matt asked. Tyler decided to come clean, “I broke up with her”.

Matt glared at him, “You hooked up with my sister?” Tyler put up his hands, “I’m sorry, Matt. It was a shitty thing to do. My bad. But I promise you, if you give me another chance, I’ll be a better friend.”

“You are a dick”, Matt said shoving him away. Hard. “Stay away from her”, Matt warned. “I will. Promise”, Tyler said, “ Please don’t cut me out.” If Tyler didn’t have Matt by his side he would have crumbled a long time ago. Matt glared at him. Tyler made sure to show how sorry he was.

“You hurt my sister, Ty. The only person who has ever been there for me”, Matt said. “And I should forgive you”, Matt snapped his fingers, “ like that?” Tyler wanted to point out that ever since Vicki started taking drugs, she had little time for Matt.

But this was the same Vicki who worked two jobs so Matt could stay in school. Who had given up on every extracurricular activity, so Matt could have food on his table and clothes on his back. Who had given up her dreams so Matt could have his. Tyler had no right to judge Vicki.

“I understand. I’m sorry. You might want to keep a closer eye on her tonight,” Tyler nodded towards the house as he rubbed his sore shoulder. Was Matt always this strong? Or was Tyler’s human self weak? Was he human or werewolf or hybrid? Tyler looked up. It was a full moon. Human, then.

“See you at school?” Tyler asked. Matt paused, holding the door in his hand, “Go home Lockwood.” The door slammed shut. Tyler got into the car, put his head on his hands and screamed. He needed to find Bonnie, now.

____________________________________

Bonnie hummed to herself as she washed the dishes. Life was pretty good . “You better hurry up if you want to leave, child. I’m not letting you drive after nine,” Sheila called out from the couch. “Why would I leave?” Bonnie frowned. “You told me you wanted to be home, in case your father came back”, Sheila reminded her.

Right. Bonnie’s go-to excuse when she wanted Sheila to back off. Bonnie recalled Rudy not being there on her first day of senior year. Something about a meeting. Teen-her had wanted to go home to pick out an outfit and spend the night chatting on the phone.

But forty seven year old Bonnie wasn’t feeling like spending the night alone. “Dad told me he might not be back in time, Grams. Can I stay the night?” Bonnie asked. “Of course, baby. But, what about your school supplies?” Grams inquired.

“Most of it is in my school locker, Grams. I only need a proper back-to-school outfit”, Bonnie grinned. “Do you mind if I borrowed some of mom’s clothes?” Bonnie remembered Abby showing her some amazing dresses in there, when she had come to town.

Bonnie’s feelings on Abby were mixed. She was angry that her mother had skipped out on her to raise another kid. But she understood . A tiny bit. She knew how it felt to lose one’s powers. But it didn’t quell her resentment. Bonnie’s dad had started staying away more and more after the divorce. Bonnie lost two parents that day.

As she listened to Grams gushing about Abby’s first day, Bonnie realised. Grams missed Abby too. Bonnie decided. If she had managed to come back in time, she would make it right and make it count. Get her family back. Get a degree. Open her own restaurant. Have a spouse and kids . Or a couple dozen cats. She wasn't picky.

She only wanted a stress free life. That should be easy. All she had to do was keep out of vampire drama. (And get a full physical exam. She was never skipping on those ever again.)

But Elena being the doppelganger meant otherwise. Sooner or later, Katherine, Elijah, Klaus, and all the other people who wanted to make deals with him, would come sniffing. Not to forget Esther. Or Silas. Or the Travelers. Or the Augustine society. Or Lilly Salvatore and her crazy heretic family. Goodness. Being around Elena Salvatore was constant drama. Wait. She wasn’t married yet.

Bonnie was pretty sure the Salvabros were already in town. Didn’t Elena once tell her that Stefan had saved her in the car accident? Stefan had proceeded to stalk Elena for the next four months and then enrolled in the school to ‘get to know’ her.

Back then, Bonnie had agreed with Elena that it was very sweet. Now she saw it as a red flag. If Stefan looked his age, would a 161 year old guy stalking an underage girl be 'sweet'? Was Stefan lurking outside Elena’s house right now? Should Bonnie call and warn her?

And there was Damon. Probably out, tricking some poor soul into becoming his dinner by the roadside. Friend or not, Bonnie decided she was setting his ass on fire if Damon so much as looked at Caroline. Or Vicki. Would either of them become a vampire, if given the choice? How did Bonnie become friends with him in the first place? Oh, she knew. The same way she had fallen for Enzo. A bit of boredom, a dash of loneliness. And a tiny smidgen of Stockholm syndrome.

Bonnie wondered if Tyler made it ‘back’ too. She needed to check up on him. Even if he hadn’t , Bonnie decided she would help Tyler who lived in the present time. Tyler had shown how capable he was of changing for the good. If she could speed up his journey from two bit bully to the guy secure enough on his own, why not.

Bonnie heard the doorbell ring. Grams looked at Bonnie , who shrugged. She wasn’t expecting anyone. “I’ll get it,” Grams said as she got up.“Hey, Missus Bennett. Is Bonnie here? ”, Bonnie jolted at the voice. Tyler Lockwood did NOT show up at her Grams’ . “She might be. Why?” even Grams was suspicious. “ I had a doubt?” Tyler sounded nervous.

Before Grams responded, Bonnie cleared the counter in a single jump and ran to the foyer. “Tyler! I forgot. Did you bring the homework?” Bonnie asked, signalling with her eyes. Hopeful that Tyler got the message and kept his mouth shut.

“Yeah. It’s in my car,” Tyler caught on to Bonnie’s relief. “You told me all your homework was done,” Grams accused. “Yeah. I..”, Bonnie scrambled to find an excuse. “It’s not homework, Mrs. Bennett. It’s more like an extra credit thing,” Tyler offered.

“Extra credit?” Grams turned to Tyler, who was sweating like a pig. “ Yes. You know Tanner threatened to hold me back, if I didn’t improve on History? Tyler’s got the same problem. We decided to study together. Do a little side project and gain some credit”, Bonnie put on her best shit-eating grin.

“Do you wanna?” Tyler motioned with his head. Bonnie moved to get out when Grams gripped her shoulder. “Why don’t you kids discuss in the house, instead?”, Grams looked like a shark who had smelled blood. Bonnie sighed and dragged Tyler towards her bedroom. “In the hall, child”, Grams said.

Bonnie grunted. No wonder she hadn’t dated much. “We’ll be in the patio Grams”, Bonnie called out and directed Tyler towards the back. She motioned for him to be silent. She closed the patio door and lit the wood in the fire grate. Looking around she grabbed a handful of sage, rosemary and rue and threw it into the fire. “Talk”, Bonnie said.

Tyler coughed, “Couldn’t you cast a silencing spell or something?” Either the smoke was too pungent. Or his nose was too sensitive. Was this how his mom felt when she had a migraine? Tyler felt so sorry for her for all the times he had assaulted her nose with body spray.

“Hello? No magic, remember?”, Bonnie said. She had reached for her magic the moment she woke up. She was both surprised and irritated when she remembered the curse. Without magic, she felt like she was watching life through an old black and white television. Everything was fuzzy and grey.

“So get rid of the curse! I want to set this right”, Tyler said. Bonnie frowned, “You want me to send you back?” Tyler was stumped. He thought Bonnie would be chomping at the bit to get back .

“What if we messed up the timeline?”, Tyler asked. Bonnie scoffed, “Are you listening to yourself? Tyler, we have lived through THE worst timeline ever! Nothing we do could be more messed up” Tyler shook his head, “This is the result of a spell gone wrong Bon. Were you aiming to send us back in time?” Bonnie shook her head.

“There. See? It was a coincidence. What are the chances that something isn’t screwing us over? What about doing the good thing? The right thing?” Tyler asked. Bonnie exhaled, “I have learned a long time ago that right and wrong are subjective , Ty. As for whatever screws us over, I’ll deal with it.”

Tyler regarded Bonnie in a new light. What had happened to the girl who played by the rules no matter the cost? “What?” Bonnie asked, “Why are you so surprised? I’ve seen things, Tyler. Bad things. I’ve done worse. This isn’t so bad. If you want to go back to being dead, I’ll help you. But I’m not going back to die alone, slowly and painfully. Been there, done that”, Bonnie declared.

Bonnie was surprised herself. She had never been the selfish type. But she loathed to give up on this golden chance. If she played her cards right, she could stop worse from happening. Guess some of Damon’s character had rubbed off on her.

“I don’t want to die either,” Tyler mumbled. Bonnie reached over to squeeze his hand, “That’s the spirit!” She gasped and pulled her hand back, "Dude, your wolf is all over the place! Did you forget to take your brew?" Tyler asked "Brew? You mean wolfsbane?"

"Also, you could feel my wolf? I haven't transformed yet!" Tyler exclaimed. Bonnie waved a hand, " I get these little impressions when I touch people. Call it a gut instinct". "So you knew Stefan was a vampire first?" Tyler asked. "Not as such. Though I did feel he was bad news and warned Elena about it", Bonnie said.

Bonnie frowned, " Now. What is this idiocy about wolfsbane ? Wolfsbane is poisonous, silly. I meant the one your family would make during full moons." Tyler's brows furrowed, "We don't make anything?" Bonnie slapped her head, "No wonder you Lockwoods have zero self control."

"What?" Tyler felt far out of the loop. "Each werewolf family has a secret recipe passed down the generations. Usually for a drink made during full moon time. It keeps untriggered wolves calm and triggered ones from going berserk", Bonnie explained.

Tyler had never known anything except wolfsbane. He realised didn't know much about being a werewolf at all. "I'll help you this once, ok? Imma make you this tea that Kayla taught me. She loved it when I made it for her", Bonnie said.

"You dated a wolf?" Tyler  was surprised . "Yeah, well. I don't want to sound clichéd, but, the sex was wild", Bonnie licked her lips. Tyler felt himself growing hot. Damn. Bonnie noticed his discomfort and laughed. "You are gonna be Horny, angry or hungry all the time until we get something for the wolf",she patted his shoulder.

A throat cleared. “Bonnie baby, why are you smoking the place up?” Grams asked. “Aroma therapy, Grams”, Bonnie said, “to help us remember better. What are you doing here?” Grams held up a plate of cookies, “Something to nibble on. And lavender with helps memory. Not sage.” Grams looked Tyler up and down, “Won’t your mother be looking for you?”

“Not for another hour, Mrs.Bennett”, Tyler lied. Tyler’s mom would be deep in the cups by this time. Tyler’s dad might look for him, to berate him or give him a beating. Richard had been worse than Tyler at dealing with the mood shifts. Tyler would usually stay the night at Matt’s during full moons.

Tyler realized Bonnie was watching him. Tyler’s home situation was an open secret. The bruises weren't exactly hidden. The only teacher who had reported it, lived to regret it. After that everybody knew to shut up. Tyler had grown tired of the townsfolk’s pity and began acting out soon after.

Grams hummed and walked away. Bonnie grabbed a cookie, “How do you plan on dealing with Richard?” ‘Dad’ was a sacred title. In Bonnie’s eyes, Richard Lockwood didn’t deserve it. Tyler sighed, “I’m going to avoid him as much as I can”.

“

“I can ‘deal’ with him, if you want me to”, Bonnie said. Tyler choked on his cookie. Bonnie rolled her eyes, “Not like that. I know where the Gilbert device is. I could take him down if need be.”

“We should destroy that device”, Tyler declared, “And the tomb vampires.” Bonnie mused, “Why?” Tyler shot her an incredulous look. “I mean. I get it. Why those vampires were mad. If someone hunted me down, set me on fire and took away everything I owned, I'll be mad too”, she asked.

“They are vampires! They hunt and kill people!”, Tyler exclaimed. “Funny. I never heard you complain about Caroline doing vampy things”, Bonnie retorted. She had reflected a lot during traveling. Turns out the MFG were quite the hypocrites when it suited them. “You are going to set them free? Like that? They'll want revenge on the Founders' kids. Like me and Caroline and Elena?” Tyler asked.

“Yeah? Katherine was the one who wanted the tomb vampires dead. I ain’t doing her dirty work”, Bonnie said. And face palmed. “Lucy! Oh my God! I couldn’t believe I almost forgot about her”, Bonnie muttered. Bonnie wanted to keep Lucy alive and happy. And  away from vampires. But Bonnie  needed her magic for that.

“Who’s Lucy?” Tyler asked. “My cousin and the current Bennett witch-slave of Katherine”, Bonnie explained. The armory had carried an extensive history of Bennetts. To Bonnie’s horror, Katerina Petrova had a history of seeking out and ‘employing’ Bennetts.

Bonnie wondered if it pained Qetsiyah to see her daughters enslaved by Amara’s blood. Then she remembered. Qetsiyah was under Silas’ spell. She hadn’t hesitated to put Bonnie, the last Bennett alive, through the same pain that drove Amara to suicide. Qetsiyah did not care about family. 

“Didn’t breaking the tomb spell kill your Grams?” Tyler asked. “Only because she did it with no magic back up”, Bonnie said. “ Back up?” Tyler asked. “ Such spells need the magical equal of a nuke, Ty”, Bonnie explained. That was what made them last long after the caster’s death.

“Emily used the comet as her magic back up when she sealed the tomb. Still she was powerless for quite some time after. When the Founders came for her, she couldn’t fight back”, Bonnie continued. “I didn’t know enough to realize how dangerous it was for Grams when I asked her to lift the seal completely for Stefan.” Bonnie felt she had killed Grams in that moment.

“That device would expose me and my family to the council, Bon”, Tyler pleaded. He remembered how the council had reacted. Every time there was a hint of supernatural, the founders council went on overdrive trying to kill it. “ Fine”, Bonnie said, “We will find it and destroy it, ok?”

Tyler nodded, "We should also get rid of the tomb vampires." Bonnie rolled her eyes, "Won't you let that go?" Tyler gritted his teeth, "I want to keep  my family safe too, Bennett. And while we are at it, kill the Salvatores. And the Originals". Bonnie raised her hand, " Look I'll help with the tomb. But that will be the extent of my involvement with vamps. It's not on me to right every wrong. Nor is it on you. Sooner you learn it the better".

Tyler said, "Sorry Bon. I can't let something wrong happen and not do anything." Bonnie chuckled, "Calm down Captain Righteous , I ain't gonna stop you. Now come on. Let's get you that tea."


	3. Monday blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the pilot part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclosure. This fic started as me exorcising the gremlin in my brain demanding justice for Bonnie and Tyler's story. I never expected anybody to LOOK at it! Given your amazing response, I've decided to write as much as I can. Sorry about the delay. I wrote this chapter thrice before my perfectionism agreed with it. Hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Also Bonnie is going to be MEAN AF. Beware!

###  7 SEP 2009 2 AM BENNETT HOUSE

Snip snip. The rhythm of the scissors was soothing. Teen-Bonnie had spent hours straightening her hair. Adult-Bonnie delighted in watching the locks fall. In some ways. she was still the forty-seven-year-old witch-for-hire with blood on her hands.

School night was such a bizarre concept for the night owl. Grams fell asleep hours ago. Bonnie knew; she checked. She searched the house for something to aid her sleep. For a witch of her cadre, brewing sleeping draught was a child’s play. Even alcohol would do in a pinch.

Grams must have given up on potion-making. Bonnie had had more ingredients on hand as a nomad than Grams’ entire stock. But then, Bonnie had led a combative existence compared to Sheila. She’d been lucky; Tyler’s brew had only required everyday stuff.

Other than potion ingredients, the Bennett household was also deficient in alcohol. The townsfolk insulted Sheila as a drunk and kook. But Bonnie was yet to see Grams imbibe anything more potent than herbal tea.

When she had been younger, Bonnie would correct people on that. Sometimes with words, sometimes with fists. She remembered scratching out Meredith Fell’s face when she was six. She’d overheard the then sixteen-year-old talk trash about Grams.

It had resulted in an angry Dad and a week-long suspension. And Bonnie learned to keep her head down and her anger hidden. In her teens, Bonnie, to her eternal shame, had joined in on making fun of her ‘loopy’ Grams. All to fit in.

Despite everything, Sheila had stood by Bonnie till the end. Karma came for Bonnie as PTSD and nightmares. Therapy was out of the question. Which therapist would listen to her story and consider her sane?

So alcohol became her therapist. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a single bottle in the house. Bonnie contemplated driving out to buy some. But. This was her second chance. And her doctor had blamed her cancer’s rapid progress on alcohol.

Bonnie ruffled her hair in thought. The chin-length bob made her look sharp. If she couldn’t have a nightcap, she had the shower cap. Bonnie turned the heat on and hopped into the shower. That should relax her enough to catch some shut-eye.

____

###  2 AM HIGHWAY

Tyler eased the Buick into second gear. His beloved car. It broke his heart to sell it when he left town. Never again. Tyler would make sure Klaus never set foot here.

He needed Bonnie's help for that. She CAN help. Her brew calmed him right away. He wondered what else she'd learned, traveling. He contemplated calling her. No. He would see her tomorrow.

He had school tomorrow, and he needed to go home. But he wasn’t ready to head in that direction. He would bawl if he saw his mom. Out of nowhere, a fog rolled in. The car before him hit something.

A black blob flew through the air and landed behind Tyler’s car. The fog cleared. Tyler watched the driver get out to see what he hit. He squinted at his rear-view mirror. That body looked familiar.

Tyler’s eyes widened. “Hey, man! Looks like you hit an animal! I’ll take care of it!” A woman stuck her head out of the car, "There's no signal, Darren!”

“It’s alright. I got a signal. I'm calling 911”, Tyler held up his phone. “Wait. Is that moving?” Darren paused in the middle of the road. Tyler watched as the body turned towards them. “Get back! It might be a mountain lion. We have a lion problem here,” Tyler hollered.

The woman encouraged him, “C’mon Darren. Let’s leave." To Tyler’s relief, Darren listened to her, got back in, and drove off. He could hear bones snapping back into place. So the first car had done some damage.

Tyler threw the Buick in reverse gear. He went full throttle till he heard a squelch. He grinned, “Good night Damon.” He drove away whistling. It was GREAT being back.

____

###  6 AM BENNETT HOUSEHOLD

Bonnie glared at the alarm. If she had magic, that clock would have met a gruesome end. Was schooling experience worth the torture of waking up before the sun? Bonnie decided it wasn’t.

She’d started heading back to la-la land when a knock dashed her dreams. “Bonnie? You are going to be late for school if you don't get up!” Grams announced, cheerful. Bonnie groaned and rolled out of bed. It was much too early to be happy about ANYthing.

Sheila had been up since five, making all Bonnie’s favorites. She sat at the food-laden table, newspaper in hand. It had been years since her granddaughter had spent the last day of vacation with her.

Usually, Bonnie spent the last day before school with the Gilberts. Rudy had to drag her kicking and screaming to spend father-daughter time.

When Bonnie blew him off, Rudy threw himself into work to get over the disappointment. Sheila didn't have that outlet. Not after retiring from Whitmore. And from the witch council (to Joshua Parker's unbridled glee).

Miranda Gilbert had taken to Bonnie. Out of guilt over Abby or maternal instincts, Sheila didn’t know. Sheila once heard Bonnie call Miranda mom. John would joke that Bonnie was a Gilbert in all but name.

When the Gilberts died, Bonnie had mourned. Even more than their children. Sheila felt guilty relief. Bonnie finally found time for her actual family.

Sheila frowned at the clomping headed her way. She folded her newspaper and gaped. Bonnie pushed her aviators down with a crooked smile, “Morning, Grams.”

Sheila watched the denim dress swish around Bonnie as she rounded the table. The dress had been Abby’s favorite. Bonnie was…different. Sheila couldn’t put her finger on what had changed. Aside from the bob, the blue dress, and cowboy boots, that is.

“How do I look?” Bonnie asked, rocking back and forth on her heels. Sheila smiled, “You look amazing, baby. Those boys won’t know what hit them.” Bonnie grinned, grabbing a cup of Joe.

Sheila reached out to touch Bonnie’s hair, “What happened to your hair?” Bonnie piled their plates with food, “Was bored last night.” Sheila couldn’t believe it. The cut looked professional.

“And where did you learn to do your hair so well?” Sheila asked. Bonnie smiled to herself, “You-tube, of course.” Hair-styling was one of the many skills Bonnie had picked up in her previous nomadic life. Sheila accepted a plate.

Bonnie devoured the food, “This is divine! Grams, did I mention I love you?” Sheila smiled into her cup of coffee. It was silly. But whenever Bonnie complimented her, Sheila puffed up like a pastry.

Bonnie cleared the table. “Grams, are you done?” She asked. Sheila looked up from her newspaper, “Why baby?” Bonnie shrugged, “I wanted to...well, would you’d drop me at school?”

Sheila reached over to feel Bonnie’s forehead. Bonnie furrowed her brows, “What?” Sheila asked, “Are you feeling well, child?” Sheila had to confirm. Bonnie had once claimed it was an embarrassment to be with Sheila in public. Now she wanted drop-off?

“I’m fine, Grams. Why are you asking?” Bonnie seemed confused. Sheila opened her mouth and changed her mind. No use in looking a gift horse in its mouth. Sheila fetched her keys, “How will you get home, Bonnie?”

“Don’t worry, Grams. I’ll catch a ride”, Bonnie assured with a grin. “If you can’t, call me. I’ll pick you up. Are we going to get Elena?” Sheila locked the front door.

“I texted her I’m not coming. Now come on. Let’s get this bread!” Bonnie buzzed. “Bread? We have bread at home,” Sheila puzzled. Bonnie sighed, “Grams, Let’s get me to school, okay?"

_____

###  7.30 AM MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL

It was still foggy outside when they reached school. “Are we early?” Grams asked. “No, it’s perfect, Grams. Bye.” Bonnie kissed Sheila’s cheek and turned. “Why?” Sheila asked.

They both understood that the question meant more. “You are my lucky charm, grandma,” Bonnie’s eyes fixed on the school,“ And I need all the luck I can have for this.” She was out of the car before Sheila could ask more.

Bonnie could hear the murmurs as she sashayed into the school office. She and her change of style were causing quite the stir. “Good morning Mrs. Clarke! How are we today?” Bonnie gave the secretary a wide grin.

“Bonnie Bennett! You look exactly like your mother!" Mrs. Clarke gushed. Marci Clarke had been the office secretary for a long time. She would bribe Bonnie with treats. Back when Bonnie was in her rebel phase and summoned to the principal's office every week.

“Too bad, I don't remember her,” Bonnie scanned the certificates on the wall behind her. In her previous life, Bonnie took the high road. Gave her ‘mom’ another chance. She wasn’t feeling so kind now. 

Marci pulled a face, “Abby loved you with all her heart, sweetie.” Bonnie tilted her head, “Debatable.” She’d forgotten that Marci was Abby’s friend. Of course, she’d defend her.

Bonnie said, “I’m not here to talk about her, auntie. How do I switch to online classes?” Marci looked stumped, “You want to leave school?” Bonnie shrugged, “Thought I’d give home-school a try.”

“Why? Your best years are ahead, baby girl! So many memories! Prom and homecoming and graduation!” Marci had a fond look on her face. But Bonnie’s memories of those events were of horror and blood.

Bonnie had thought long and hard and concluded. Avoiding parties would ensure 100% drama free survival. “Let’s say I found a new area of interest. I won’t have time for it with school”, Bonnie explained.

“Sheila found a way to unbind your magic without Abby around?” Marci inquired. Bonnie almost swallowed her tongue. So Abby had bound Bonnie’s magic. And how did Marci Clarke know about this?

Marci reached across the counter to clasp Bonnie’s hand. She said, “Bonnie, I understand magic can be thrilling. But you need a life outside of it. Didn’t Sheila tell you what happened with Abby?”

Bonnie said, “Not much.” Marci tightened her grasp, “Sheila didn’t want to unbind Abby’s magic. But Abby wouldn’t listen. In the end, it lured her away from what was important.” Marci looked into Bonnie’s eyes, “I don’t want to see the same thing happen to you.”

That was news to Bonnie. Intrigued, Bonnie asked, “Do you… practice then?” Marci snorted, “No, kid. You don’t survive this town so long without knowing the Bennetts. Your family saved our skins more times than I can count!”

Bonnie raised an eyebrow, “But we aren't good enough to be in the Founder’s council?” “The council is a bunch of fancy rednecks without a lick of sense,” Marci twisted her mouth in distaste. Bonnie giggled.

Somebody rapped on the door, “Mrs. Clarke? You wanted to see me?” Bonnie looked at the clock and cursed. She’d overstayed, talking to Marci. If she had to leave, she would need to brush past him or TALK to him. She couldn’t decide which was worse.

Marci switched to professional mode, “Mr. Salvatore. Your records are incomplete. You're missing immunization records, and we do insist on transcripts.” Bonnie admired the woman’s take-no-shit attitude.

Stefan took off his glasses to look into Marci’s eyes. This bitch. Why were vampires so dependent on compulsion? Bonnie interjected, “Mrs.Clarke, Why don’t you give him a list of documents he needs to bring? It must have slipped his mind.”

Bonnie ignored Stefan's curious gaze. She must have kept her mouth shut. But she couldn’t let him screw with her auntie’s head. How stupid was he? Forging documents was easier than compelling every person who looked at your file.

Marci handed Stefan a slip of paper, “The school requires all these documents by the end of the week, Mr. Salvatore. And your uncle must show up for the parent-teacher meeting this week.”

Stefan took the paper, “Thank you, Mrs. Clarke.” He turned to Bonnie, “Hi. I’m Stefan.” Bonnie tilted a glance at him, “Good for you." Undeterred, Stefan gave her a charming smile, “You are?”

Bonnie replied with a similar smile, “Not interested.” Marci coughed, stifling a laugh, behind them. “You should go. Finding the classroom can be tough,” Bonnie continued.

“You can show me around,” Stefan said. Bonnie raised an eyebrow, “Something tells me you won’t need my help.” Stefan looked amused and affronted by her. Bonnie wanted to laugh in his face.

Marci stepped in, “You can leave now, Mr. Salvatore.” Stefan looked like he wanted to continue before he tilted his head as if listening to something.

Bonnie could guess what he was listening for. “Thank you, Mrs. Clarke. I’ll see you around”, Stefan directed the last words at Bonnie, before walking away. Bonnie thought homeschooling looked better by the minute.

_____________

###  7.45 AM HIGH SCHOOL HALLWAY

Tyler scanned the crowd. Matt hadn’t returned his messages. Or phone calls. Or voicemails. Tyler came prepared. He was going to grovel his way back into his friend's good graces. No matter what.

He found Matt gazing at the entrance. Correction. At Elena. Tyler watched as Elena turned and waved at Matt. Matt whirled around to face his locker. Tyler rolled his eyes. Matt was so whipped; it wasn’t even funny.

Tyler leaned on the locker next to Matt, “Wanna get over your ex? Block her number, throw away her stuff, and stay away from her.” Matt scowled, “We didn’t break up. We are taking a break.”

Tyler cocked an eyebrow, “Uh-huh? She doesn’t look so broken up about that. Unlike somebody.” Matt turned to him, “She lost her parents, Tyler. I know it must be hard for you. But have some sympathy.”

Tyler raised his hands, “I’m not shitting on your ex, buddy. I only wanted to point out. She’s not that into you.” Matt scoffed, “We dated for three years, Ty, We have planned a future together. ”

“You know what they say about best-laid plans,” Tyler reminded Matt. “Anyhow. Did you see Bonnie?” Tyler asked. He was yet to catch a glimpse of her. “She usually comes in with Elena,” Matt answered.

“Ok, but why did Elena,” Tyler frowned, “ enter the men’s room?” Matt rolled his eyes, “Stop clowning me, Ty. I won't fall for it.” Tyler watched as Stefan Salvatore walked out of the office in all his new-guy glory.

Tyler spotted Caroline looking enchanted by Stefan. He glowered at Stefan with the heat of a thousand suns. “What?” Matt followed Tyler’s line of sight. Right on time to see Stefan and Elena colliding and flirting outside the men’s room.

Matt frowned, “Who is that guy?” Tyler patted his shoulder, “Bad news. See?” He pointed at Elena, “She’s moved on. So should you.” Matt turned to Tyler, “She’s not ‘moved on’! Stop trying to...”

A wolf whistle interrupted them. “Damn,” Someone said. Tyler and Matt turned to look at the source of the commotion. It seemed to originate from the direction of the school office.

"Wow,” Matt voiced the thoughts of everyone looking at Bonnie. She stood in the doorway, surveying the foyer with cool indifference. Tyler didn't remember Bonnie being this hot, ever.

Bonnie spotted Tyler and nodded to him. Tyler started toward her. But Caroline got there before him. "Oh. My. God!" Caroline shrieked.

"You look like a hot fifties housewife," she exclaimed. Bonnie winced, "Yikes. But thanks." "Dunno. Looks more 'Grease' inspired to me", Tyler inserted himself into the conversation.

"You and your dated references. It looks like Emma Stone from the 'Zombieland' promo, Bon," Matt added. "That's more like it!" Bonnie smiled at Matt, who ducked his head. 

"Bonnie!" Elena came over, done with Stefan, "You look good!" Bonnie hooked the glasses into the crook of her dress, "Thanks, Elena. Nice top, by the way."

"I always thought Elena would be the bottom,” Tyler snickered. Bonnie elbowed Tyler in the ribs while the other three looked on confused. "Ignore his juvenile humor,” Bonnie said.

Bonnie offered Tyler a low-five behind her back. How many queer jokes could they slip past their Kinsey-0 friends before they got with the program?

They began walking to class. Matt was chatting with Caroline, who was happy to educate Matt on Stone's impeccable style. Meanwhile, Elena listened in quiet amusement. 

Tyler fell back to walk with Bonnie. He asked, "Why did you avoid talking about your curse yesterday?" It had been gnawing on him.

Bonnie told him her powers would return despite the curse when the comet passed. But why would she restrict herself to that when she knew about it and how to break it?

“I’ve been thinking. It was my mother who cast that curse. If she's not breaking it, I have to do it myself. It requires a lot of potent magical stuff. I’m hoping to use the comet," Bonnie admitted.

“So, you are doing it on comet night?” Tyler asked. Bonnie nodded, “Are you free this afternoon?” Tyler hummed, “Maybe.” Bonnie clapped her hands, "Great. I need a ride to Salem.” Tyler pulled a face, “Why?” Bonnie shrugged, “Come, see yourself.”

Their first class was history. Tanner must hate it as much as his students. He was droning like a drill machine. Bonnie was struggling to keep her eyes open.

Bonnie had switched seats with Sofie Snell to the place closest to the door. Tyler shot her a quizzical look. She motioned to Stefan. She wasn’t sitting close to the Ripper if she could help it.

When Tanner turned to write on the board, Tyler threw a paper ball at Bonnie. It sailed across Stefan’s head, distracting him. Bonnie unfurled the paper and giggled.

She crumpled it when Stefan craned his neck to have a look. It was a stick figure with fangs, getting stabbed with a stick by a well-drawn wolf. Bonnie gave Tyler a thumbs up. He winked back.

Stefan shook his head at them and went back to staring at Elena.

_______

###  12.30 PM CAFETERIA

Bonnie sat under the beech tree munching on the sandwiches she’d packed. Grams had worked magic with the food. Did she have spells to enhance the taste or something?

Tyler collapsed next to her, “School is hell.” He stole a sandwich off her box. Bonnie frowned but let it slide; he was giving her a ride after school. “I enjoy watching the drama,” Bonnie admitted.

“Pity, A lot of them are going to die before the end of the year,” Tyler nodded at the crowd. “The wise ones will flee town before it comes to that. So will I”, Bonnie pointed out.

“What about those who don’t want to? Those can’t afford to?” Tyler grouched. “We're not heroes,” Bonnie quipped. “But we have the power to change it! If we didn’t, it’s on us,” Tyler maintained.

“Stop watching Spider-Man,” Bonnie told him. “We,” she waved her hand, ”Are a couple of traumatized people, finally catching our breaks. I’m going to do right by myself this time. What about you, huh? Are you going to trigger it?”

“No! I don't want to kill someone by accident!” Tyler hated transforming; loathed how he had turned. Sarah and Liv still haunted his dreams. “There,” Bonnie concluded. Tyler sneered, “Never took you for a quitter."

“Says the guy who hates what he is,” Bonnie replied. Tyler glowered, “Fuck you, Bennett.” Bonnie scoffed, “You wish.” Tyler gobbled the sandwich. It wasn’t like she could understand how it was for him. Being a wolf had been nothing but pain.

Bonnie sighed, “You can’t stand the idea of killing, yet you want to. Don't you see the irony?” Tyler looked at her, “And you are OK with it?” Bonnie was; that was the problem. And she had been quite terrific at it. If Bonnie started again, she might never stop.

Tyler took a deep breath and conceded defeat for now, “When do you want me to pick you up?” Bonnie gazed at her watch, "Four should do fine." Tyler nodded and walked away.

Bonnie watched him leave, deep in thought. “Hey!” Caroline slid down the bark to sit next to Bonnie. Caroline peered at her, “What’s going on with you and Tyler?”

“He owes me a ride,” Bonnie smirked. “Mhmm,” Caroline teased. Bonnie realized her word choice and smacked Caroline’s forearm. “Not like that, you slut!” Bonnie exclaimed.

“Oh! I’m the slut, huh? I’m not the one taking ‘rides.’ Am I?” Caroline shot back. Bonnie chuckled. Caroline sobered, “I know you and I don’t want to see you get hurt. Tyler is a ‘fun ride’ guy; not a ‘ride or die’ guy.”

Bonnie felt moved, “Don’t worry, Care. We aren’t that way. As for Tyler, you’re in for a pleasant surprise,” Bonnie had envied what Caroline and Tyler had, back then. Caroline chuckled, “More pleasant than the new guy?”

Bonnie crammed a sandwich into her mouth to stop unholy curses from spilling. Fucking Stefan. Caroline unwrapped her food as she filled her in, “His name is Stefan Salvatore. He lives with his uncle up at the old Salvatore Boarding House. He hasn't lived here since he was a kid. Military family, so they moved around a lot. He's a Gemini, and his favorite color is blue.”

“You got all that in one day?” Bonnie asked; no wonder Caroline wanted to be a journalist. Caroline preened, “Oh, please, I got all that between third and fourth period. We're planning a June wedding.” Bonnie grimaced, “Isn’t it too early to be planning weddings?”

“It was love at first sight, Bonnie! We are a match made in heaven,” Caroline swooned. “You can do way better than him. Also, he was creeping on Elena in history”, Bonnie retorted. Caroline gasped, “Elena knew I called dibs on him!” Bonnie sighed, “No, she didn’t.”

Bonnie diverted, “What about his previous relationships? For all we know, he might have a crazy stalker ex!”. Caroline paused, “You’re right. I need more information.” Bonnie heaved a sigh of relief.

______

###  4 PM SCHOOL ENTRANCE

“You better make this quick. I’ve promised Matt I’ll meet him at the Grill around six”, Tyler told Bonnie as he pulled up. “It’s gonna take two hours tops,” Bonnie said, “I like your car.”

“It’s a 1969 Buick. Mason gifted it to me on my sixteenth birthday” Tyler patted the dashboard with affection. Bonnie had no idea what to do with that. Should she apologize for kidnapping Mason, before?

Tyler pulled out a map as she put on her seatbelt, “Drive. I know how to get there.” Tyler reversed the car, “How so?” Bonnie said, “It’s the best place to buy all things witchy.” 

“Didn’t the witch-hunt happen there?” Tyler asked. “More like women-hunt,” Bonnie said, “Take the next exit.” Tyler followed her instructions, “What do you mean?” 

Bonnie reflected, “The girls persecuted in Salem were innocent. You have to have more than ignorance to trap a real witch.” Words she’d heard from her Grams ages ago.

“But Emily got caught, didn’t she?” Tyler commented. “As I said, Emily overestimated her abilities. If I’d cast something as big as a tomb spell, I’d spend the next few weeks recuperating,” Bonnie said.

And she had done some humongous spells in her post-Mystic Falls career. For the right price, of course. Quality magic wasn’t cheap.

“Why did Emily not do that?” Tyler wondered. Bonnie’s lips pinched, “I don’t know. If she had any sense, she would have fled when the vampire roundup happened. She was finally free of her mistress.”

They continued in silence, only interrupted by Bonnie’s directions. They reached Salem as Sun began its journey westward. Tyler noticed a swathe of red paint running down the middle of the street. “That’s the Heritage trail. You can follow it if you want to have the tourist experience”, Bonnie explained.

She ducked into a side street and strode away. “Where are you going?” Tyler followed her. He loved exploring, but he wanted to see the town through a witch’s eyes. “To the business center,” Bonnie said, “Most authentic stuff lay off-the-map.”

“Why do you buy your things here?” Tyler inquired. “They tend to be more potent,” Bonnie explained. “All those violent deaths, they imbue the place and the objects with wild and dark-ish energy. Very useful when dealing with curses," she added.

Tyler trailed Bonnie as she flitted in and out of shops. Bonnie was in her element. The herbs and roots piled up. She bought him a sage raspberry latte and insisted he must try it. Tyler, skeptical at first, got hooked after the first sip.

Tyler ended up buying an armload of baked goodies. Salem had plenty of spots that piqued the foodie in him. To his surprise, they found vervain in the tea section.

Bonnie didn’t share his bewilderment in Vervain's placement. “Vervain is a multipurpose herb, Ty. Witches use it for purification and prosperity spells. It also helps with anxiety, heart health, and Alzheimer’s prevention”, She said.

“How do you know so much?” Tyler asked in awe. “You see. It took me a long time to get it, but witchcraft isn’t only spells and magic. It’s a way of life. You learn about the things around you. So you can learn about yourself,” Bonnie mused.

Bonnie perked up at the sight of an old metal workshop. “I used to buy all my knives here!” She directed them towards the rusty sign that read, 'Odin's.’ “Knives?” Tyler muttered to himself.

A scowling elderly gentleman greeted them. Tyler guessed he must be Odin. He was by the till sharpening a sword the length of Tyler’s arm. He gulped and looked away. Bonnie roamed the shop like a kid in a candy store.

Tyler contemplated pulling Bonnie away when he heard her make a sound of delight. She had stopped before a case of exquisite knives. Odin ambled around the counter toward them. 

“Do we NEED to buy a knife?” Tyler muttered. “Of course! Knives are a girl’s best friend, Tyler”, Bonnie admonished. “That’s right, lass. What you be lookin’ for?” Odin approved.

Bonnie and Odin had a ball of a time discussing various knives and their pros and cons. Tyler looked on with increasing wariness. Finally, Bonnie decided on a beautiful four-inch jackknife.

"Good choice, lass,” Odin applauded. The knife's garish floral handle clashed with the wicked sharp blade inside. Tyler nodded his head at the words scrawled on the blade, "What does that mean?"

"Che la mia ferita sia mortale,” Bonnie read. Tyler stared at her, awaiting clarification. Bonnie added, "It's Italian. Means, May my wound be mortal ”. Odin grunted something to Bonnie; she laughed and replied in the same language.

Tyler might not know Italian, but he understood. They were making fun of him. He flared up, "It's stupid. Why would you carve up the blade? Anything you use the knife on will get stuck in its grooves.” "Not if you take care of it,” Odin shot back.

Bonnie settled the bill and steered him away, citing the time. Tyler managed to contain his curiosity until they reached Mystic Grill. “What did he say?” Tyler asked Bonnie. 

Bonnie stifled a giggle, “Nothing.” Tyler pestered, “C’mon Bonnie. I know he was making fun of me!” Bonnie said, "Only if you promise not to be mad." Tyler grew impatient, “OK, but you’ve GOT to tell me, now!” 

Bonnie smirked, “Odin said he hoped you were good in bed because upstairs seemed to be empty.” She slid out of the car. Tyler, flustered, called out, “What did you reply? Bonnie!” But she’d already disappeared into the Grill.

_____

###  6.30 PM MYSTIC GRILL

Bonnie found Caroline, Matt, Elena, and Stefan sat at a table. Bonnie executed an about-turn; the level of awkwardness was off the charts. Tyler intercepted her before she could move. “What are you doing?” he hissed.

“Leaving,” Bonnie muttered, nodding in their direction. Tyler winced at the sight. Caroline was working overtime to keep the conversation flowing. Stefan and Elena snuck furtive glances at each other. Matt looked like he had sucked on a sour lemon.

Tyler would rather face Klaus again than go to that table alone. “You don’t have a ride,” He pointed out. “I can walk,” Bonnie said. “With all the purchases?” Tyler asked. “I’ll manage,” Bonnie said, airy. “I’ll give you a ride home if you spend two hours here,” Tyler negotiated.

“One hour. And you are buying me a drink of my choice”, Bonnie replied. “Deal,” Tyler accepted, “Wait. Why did you change your mind?” Bonnie grinned like a Cheshire cat, “Why don’t we get the drinks before we go there?”

Tyler got a root beer for himself and a chocolate milkshake for Bonnie. She stood by, humming, and tapping her foot. Tyler watched Jeremy trail Vicki, who ignored him with a fervor. Bonnie cringed, “The secondhand embarrassment is killing me.”

Bonnie sauntered away, leaving Tyler to collect their drinks. Tyler caught up to her, right as she reached the table. “Mattie! So nice of you to welcome Elena’s new boyfriend into our friend circle!” Bonnie announced with glee.

Tyler dropped the milkshake, stunned. Bonnie snatched it out of the air, “Careful, darling!” She winked and started sipping the milkshake as everyone started talking at once. Elena was trying to explain to Matt that it wasn’t like that; Caroline looked OUTRAGED.

Stefan’s reaction was the most unnerving. Tyler saw Stefan eyeing Bonnie with a quiet intensity. Bonnie squeezed in with Caroline, reveling in the chaos. Tyler stepped up, distracting Stefan, “Tyler Lockwood. Nice to meet you.”

Stefan shook Tyler’s hand, “Stefan Salvatore.” Elena turned to Stefan, pointing at Bonnie, “And this is my best friend in the world.B.” Bonnie cut in, “Bone-eye Barnight.” Caroline turned to Bonnie frowning, and Bonnie suppressed a grin, “Oops. Barney Beenet.”

Caroline slapped Bonnie’s arm, “Stop it! This is Bonnie Bennett.” Stefan said with a wry smile, “We’ve met.” Was it Bonnie’s imagination, or did Elena look jealous? “Oh. She never mentioned it,” Caroline’s voice was sweet, but her eyes promised Bonnie the third degree.

“You never asked,” Bonnie defended. “Where did you two meet?” Elena asked what Tyler was thinking. “At the school office. She was the first student I met,” Stefan said. “And you didn’t know her name,” Matt observed. “Must have slipped my mind,” Stefan said to Matt, looking at Bonnie.

Bonnie chuckled, “That’s me. Forgettable.” Tyler sensed a story; he made a note to ask Bonnie later. Caroline clapped her hand, “So, Stefan, if you're new, then you don't know about the party tomorrow.” She nudged Bonnie.

When Bonnie refused to acknowledge the nudge, Caroline pinched her. Bonnie winced and launched into the spiel, “It's a back to school thing at the falls. We, the teens of Mystic falls, gather around a bonfire to drink beer and lament the beginning of school. Pretty boring.”

Stefan rubbed his chin, “I dunno. It sounds fun.” Caroline flashed a grin, “Don’t listen to her. It’s fantastic! We do it so we can get to know the newbies and reconnect with the ones passed out.” Stefan turned to Elena, “Are you going?”

Bonnie answered for Elena, “Of course she is. How will we peasants survive without our junior prom queen?” Tyler took a sip of his beer to curb his smile; the sarcasm was biting. Clueless, Elena blushed, “It’s not a big deal.”

“Besides, it’s the Mystic Falls pageant that matters,” Caroline ground out through a smile. “Everybody knows you’ll win that,” Bonnie patted Caroline’s shoulder. Even if she didn’t know the future, Bonnie would bet on Caroline winning. Her bubbly persona was perfect for the spectacle.

Caroline preened under Bonnie’s attention. “How about you?” Stefan directed at Bonnie. She raised an eyebrow. Stefan prodded, “Are you coming to the bonfire?” Bonnie slurped her shake, “Uh. No.” Elena jumped in, “Bonnie! You have to come! It’s her favorite party of the year,” Elena told Stefan.

“If I want to get wasted, I’ll do it from the comfort of my home,” Bonnie said. Caroline chided Bonnie, “Since when did you become so antisocial?” Bonnie shrugged, “I’ve always hated people. Look at the time! I have to go. I promised to help Grams with dinner. Bye!”

Bonnie slipped away before Caroline could grab her. Tyler got up to follow her. “Where are you going?” Matt asked him. “I’m her ride home. Bye guys”, Tyler fled the table with obvious relief. Caroline watched Tyler and Bonnie leave, with narrowed eyes.

_____

###  8 SEP 2009 9 AM CLASSROOM

Bonnie concluded that Tanner was the reason most of the class failed History. He gave them a superficial outline and expected them to learn everything themselves. What was this, college?

“The Battle of Willow Creek took place right at the end of the war in our very own Mystic Falls. How many casualties resulted in this battle? Ms. Beech?” Tanner questioned. Kelly fumbled and faltered, getting an earful from Tanner.

Bonnie snuck out her book to look for the answer. She had a vague memory of Stefan answering the question after Tanner called out Elena. 

She found the answer as Tanner moved on to Matt. “Mr. Donovan? Would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype?”

It was no secret that Matt was failing three out of eight classes. Bonnie thought Tanner cruel, to put down the one thing Matt felt he was good at. She scribbled the answer and titled her notebook towards Matt.

Matt caught on, “It’s uh, 346, Mr.Tanner.” Tanner noticed Matt’s gaze and twisted around to see who prompted the answer. Bonnie flipped the page and pretended to write.

“Very well. Note it down,” Tanner conceded. “Unless you're counting local civilians. Sir,” Stefan added. "There were no civilian casualties in this battle," Tanner said.

Stefan retorted, "Actually, there were 27, sir. Confederate soldiers, they fired on the church, believing it to be housing weapons. They were wrong. It was a night of great loss. The founder's archives are, uh, stored in civil hall. If you'd like to brush up on your facts, Mr. Tanner."

"Is that right, Mr?" Tanner asked. "Salvatore," Stefan replied. Tanner queried, "Salvatore. Any relation to the original settlers here at Mystic Falls?" Stefan evaded, "Distant".

Bonnie watched with glee as Stefan humiliated Tanner. She might disapprove of the Salvatores. But she detested adults who belittled kids more.

Matt mouthed ‘thanks’. Bonnie nodded and turned back. And remembered the ‘civilians’ Stefan was referring to were the tomb vampires. She scowled—another headache to deal with.

_____

###  4 PM SCHOOL PARKING

Tyler found Bonnie near her car, “You're coming to the party, yeah?” Bonnie stopped, car-door in hand, “No, Tyler. I'm not.” Tyler grew aggravated, “What about Vicki?” Bonnie shrugged, “She won’t die.”

“I need your help, Bonnie! Damon will be there!” Tyler pleaded, “I don’t want him to screw up Matt’s sister.” Bonnie got into the car, “I don’t have magic, Ty. I’m not going to pit myself against a psychopath with only righteousness as my weapon.”

Tyler huffed, “Is that all there is, to you?” Bonnie gestured, “Yes! Look at me, Ty. I’m a tiny, fragile human! Why do you expect me to put my head on the chopping block?” 

Tyler realized his mistake, “My bad. I'm sorry.” Bonnie said, "You should stay away from him too." Tyler shook his head," You know I can't." Bonnie called out, “Good luck. Don’t forget the vervain!”


	4. Party on my mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the pilot part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there will be Slight Bashing. Sorry about it. I imagined Bonnie might be bitter after what happened to her.  
> Also, Why is Kat Graham so relatable? Watch her Vogue video on her hair journey if you have time. I cried when she cried.

###  6 PM BENNETT HOUSEHOLD

Sheila trudged up the steps as the chopping sounds increased. Bonnie’s door was open. Sheila peeked inside. Her granddaughter sprawled on the floor with all the herbs she’d purchased.

Bonnie turned up with a load of herbs and grimoires the day before. And Bonnie had been staying with her without her needing to beg and threaten. Sheila was joyful (and suspicious).

Bonnie the cynic, becoming a believer overnight? Sheila presumed possession. But Bonnie had drunk Sheila's spelled tea with no ill effects. She even complimented Sheila on the taste.

"Hey Grams!" Bonnie greeted, "Come in!" Sheila slid into the room which looked and felt different. Looking around, she found the walls stripped bare.

Bonnie had never been one of those people who filled her space with knick-knacks. But this felt...severe, in a utilitarian way. The posters were gone. Bonnie had packed away the toys and photo frames too. Only two photos remained on the wall.

One taken with Rudy and Sheila on Bonnie's eleventh birthday. The other one was Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena at the junior prom last year. Sheila observed Bonnie prepping the herbs.

"What are you doing, child?" She asked. "I'm trying out something from the grimoires, Grams," Bonnie cut the vervain with her new knife.

Another new habit that Sheila found unsettling. Bonnie carried the knife with her everywhere. Sheila understood the importance of an athame. She'd made a kit to give Bonnie when she came into her power.

But she couldn't believe Bonnie picked an athame, herself, in Salem, of all places. That knife gave off an energy that set Sheila's teeth on edge. But then, no light witch liked that town or its things.

"Don't play with anything you can't control, baby," Sheila reminded, gentle. Bonnie's enthusiasm was heartening. But Sheila won't let curiosity kill the cat. Bonnie nodded as she used her knife to crush the herbs.

"When is your next hair appointment?" Sheila asked. "I canceled it, Grams," Bonnie replied. Sheila raised an eyebrow, "You don't want to straighten your hair?" Bonnie had had her hair done ever since she was nine.

Bonnie said, "I read somewhere it's bad for hair growth. Plus it's costly. I thought, why not wear it free, like you?" Sheila leaned down to hug Bonnie and kiss her forehead. Bonnie chuckled, "It's not a big deal! Grams! Are you...why are you crying?"

"I only want you to love yourself for what you are, baby," Sheila sniffed. She still remembered the tiny girl who came home crying saying she hated her hair. "I promise, I'll try, for you," Bonnie whispered back.

"Your hair is going to frizz up. I'll get you some of my products," Sheila promised. She ran her fingers through Bonnie's hair, murmuring a spell for protection and peace. Bonnie relaxed into her legs as she continued to work.

The doorbell rang interrupting their peaceful bubble. Sheila went to see who it was. Bonnie was almost done with all the herbs. She was preparing for breaking the curse. She couldn't wait to have her magic back.

She fingered the chopped vervain. It would do good to carry it around with her. She wondered how Tyler was faring at the party. It sucked she had to miss watching the drama unfold.

It was too quiet downstairs. Who had arrived? Before Bonnie could venture out, Caroline barged into the room. "Why aren't you ready yet?" Caroline scrunched her nose, "And why does it smell like a herbal bath bomb went off in here?"

"I'm not going," Bonnie declared. Sheila came to watch the girls bicker. Bonnie and Caroline couldn't be more different. In appearance and personality both. How they remained friends was a mystery.

"How can you skip THE bonfire?" Caroline sounded indignant, "Everyone will think we are lame!" Bonnie packed away the last of the herbs and closed her knife. "I don't care what others think, Care," she retorted.

"What about me? Stefan will be there and Elena will snatch him up before I even have a shot!" Caroline asked. "I have a feeling Stefan already has the hots for Elena, Care. But you should go. Have fun," Bonnie said.

"I'm not going then," Caroline plopped down on Bonnie's bed. "Because of what I said about Stefan?" Bonnie asked. "Because my best friend is being a killjoy and not going," Caroline said.

Sheila frowned. 'Stefan' sounded familiar. "Elena will be there," Bonnie pointed out. "We both know I'm friends with her only because you're friends with her," Caroline scoffed.

Caroline gave her a sly smile, "And you're going to be so sorry when I die a spinster and come back to haunt you.” Bonnie pursed her lips to stop the smile, "This is emotional blackmail. I won't fall for it."

"You can overdose on propriety, you know?"Caroline complained. "I'll die of boredom! I don't like anyone at the party!" Bonnie countered. Sheila laughed, "Bonnie, baby, it's only a party. Why don't you go see what it's about?"

"Yes! Thank you, Grams!" Caroline blew Sheila a kiss. "I'll come with you if you want," Sheila offered. Bonnie laughed at Caroline's panicked expression. What they got up to in the bonfire wasn't very adult-friendly.

She took pity on Caroline and said, "It's fine Grams, I can handle it." Caroline squealed, "You're coming to the party?!" "On two conditions," Bonnie raised her fingers, "I pick my outfit. And you keep away from any new mystery guys we meet."

"I get to pick half your outfit and we have a deal, Bennett," Caroline extended her hand. "You drive a hard bargain, Forbes," Bonnie shook it, solemn and business-like. Sheila chuckled, shaking her head.

The girls fell on the closet, discussing Bonnie's outfit choice. "Caroline?" Sheila called out. "Yes Grams," Caroline replied as Bonnie rummaged through the hangers.

"Who is Stefan? Is he new?" Sheila asked. Caroline dished, "Yeah. Stefan joined our school two days ago. Lost his parents and lives up at Salvatore Boarding House with his uncle."

The niggling in Sheila's mind began to increase. "Is something the problem?" Caroline asked. "No, dear. You two be safe and enjoy the night," Sheila said. She had some calls to make.

____

###  7.30 PM THE MYSTIC FALLS

The fire roared skyward and beer flowed like water when they reached the falls. The government had declared the falls as a heritage site. The official closing time was six pm.

But the law enforcement looked the other way for the bonfire. It was a town tradition after all. Bonnie slid out of the car, turning heads as she went. Caroline followed.

"Who's playing these songs?" Bonnie frowned. She'd been to funeral wakes with better music. Caroline listened, "It's not so bad." Bonnie scoffed, "Playing a song called 'Death' in a drunk teen gathering. It's like they are asking for it."

"Nothing happens in this town, Bon Bon. Stop fretting," Caroline assured, "Come let's find Stefan." Bonnie hooked her arm around Caroline's. "Not till we get some drinks and get this song changed," Bonnie ushered them towards the DJ.

"Bonnie!" Elena found them en route. Unfortunately, Stefan followed Elena like a shadow. Bonnie pinched her nose and resigned herself to it. It wasn't like she could avoid him forever.

"Wow!" Elena looked Bonnie up and down, "You look amazing." Bonnie smiled, red lips stretching, "I know." 

Caroline puffed up with pride. She'd made Bonnie choose those skinny jeans because she knew it made Bonnie's legs look sinful. 

"Nice tee," Stefan told Bonnie. Bonnie smiled, “It’s my favorite.” She parted the jean jacket to show off ‘Buffy-The-Vampire-Slayer’ emblazoned in pink glitter.

"Never took you for a Buffy fan," Stefan said with a teasing smirk. "Nah, Buffy is stupid. Tara is bae," Bonnie said scanning the crowd for Tyler.

"You take that back! Buffy is smart, funny and a total badass," Caroline sputtered. "Sis was thinking with her clit too much, dude. Fucked not one but two vampires," Bonnie justified.

Caroline and Elena gasped. Bonnie rolled her eyes at the pearl-clutching. “Vampires are romantic by nature. They are strong, devoted, and protective,” Elena put her in two cents. 

Bonnie twisted her mouth, “ I don’t wanna kink shame. But you don’t date clingy, whiny manchildren, old enough to be your grandpa for the romance.”

“Calling genuine feelings, lust, is crass," Stefan said, crossing his arms. Bonnie tilted her head, smirking, "What can I say? I like to call a spade a spade."

"It was love, Bonnie. Buffy changed both of them for good," Elena explained, like Bonnie was a child. "Mhmm, "Bonnie hummed, noncommittal. Stefan furrowed his brows while Caroline looked disappointed in Bonnie.

"Love births art. Without it, there will be no Romeo Juliet," Stefan rebutted. Elena joined in, "What will Juliet be without Romeo?"

Bonnie pretended to think, "Uh, alive?" The Quickies came on and 'Better off that way' blasted through the speakers. Bonnie huffed, "That’s it! I can't take this anymore!" and stomped off.

"What did I say?" Elena asked. "The song choices have been aggravating her since we came," Caroline told the duo. Bonnie located the DJ and speed walked to the spin table.

"Bonnie is usually in a better mood," Elena turned to Stefan, apology in her eyes. Stefan didn't answer, distracted by Bonnie vaulting over the spin table. "Stefan?" Elena prompted.

Stefan turned to them, "Sorry. You were saying?" Caroline laced her fingers through his, "So Stefan? What kind of songs do you like?" Stefan looked at Elena's crestfallen face and untangled their fingers.

Before Stefan could respond, Bonnie waved from the DJ station, "Caroline!" The crowd cheered as Rihanna crooned, 'What's wrong with me.'

The crowd began swaying, alcohol helping smooth the flow. Every once in awhile people called out 'Disturbia' in sync with Rihanna. Caroline had to give it to Bonnie; the music altered the general mood in an instant.

Bonnie reached them as Rihanna sang,

It's a thief in the night

To come and grab you

It can creep up inside you

And consume you

She winked and finger-gunned at Stefan, before pulling Caroline with her. "You brought me here, so you owe me a dance!" Bonnie declared as the fireside became an impromptu dance floor. 

Caroline, who'd been on the verge after Stefan's unspoken rejection, chuckled, "Sure." The girls grooved along, giggling and mouthing the words together. 

____

Tyler frowned when he heard 'Caroline!' from the DJ mic. He'd been canvassing the woods, for any sign of Damon. He'd fashioned a coat hanger into a stake. It sat snug in his belt, under his coat, easy to grab at a moment.

He turned and froze in surprise. Bonnie exited the DJ station, swaying to Rihanna. He pushed through the crowd to get to her. 

Vicki had been busy snubbing Jeremy. Matt brooded over Elena and his beer at a corner. It had been the deadest party Tyler had ever been. Till Bonnie turned up, that is. 

Now the crowd was raving. Tyler spotted Caroline's blond head first. She and Bonnie were rocking to Gaga's 'Just-Dance' without care.

Bonnie caught Tyler's eye as she sang, "I love this record, baby, but I can't see straight anymore." She nodded to him, before leaning up to say something in Caroline's ear. 

Caroline bobbed her head and Bonnie was making her way to Tyler. Jessie J boasted she could 'Do it like a dude' as Bonnie reached Tyler.

"Had a change of heart?" Tyler shouted over the music. Bonnie shook her head, "Caroline wanted us to have some fun. Get the social currency. How's your thing going?"

"Jeremy has been tailing Vicki with more vigor than me," Tyler said. He hoped it would dissuade Damon from attacking. "Too bad Damon's MO is couples. Also, he could attack anybody wandering the woods alone," Bonnie pointed out.

Tyler deflated when he realized how many people were at the party. He wouldn't be able to protect everyone. Bonnie put her hand on his cheek and winked, "C'mon. You only live once."

Tyler laughed in spite of himself. Timbaland came on and told them to 'Bounce.' Bonnie danced around him, pulling some impressive moves. Tyler joined her on the second verse.

People stopped to watch the duo go at it. Tyler matched Bonnie step for step. He lifted, twirled and whirled her, the crowd oohing and aahing along. 

Too bad they only had eyes for each other. When the song ended both Tyler and Bonnie were panting for breath. Tyler watched, mesmerized; Bonnie's pupils had swallowed her irises. 

Someone slapped Tyler on his back, "Man, you dance like a pro." Bonnie closed her eyes stepping out of Tyler's arms. Tyler cursed, what a time to interrupt. Then realized Vicki was missing and cursed some more. 

When Bonnie re-opened her eyes, her pupils had shrunk, "What?" Tyler turned to her, "Vicki." Bonnie nodded and moved to go with him. "No! You stay here," Tyler said.

"I can help!" Bonnie furrowed her brows. "You're human now", Tyler explained. Bonnie rolled her eyes, "So are you." Tyler held her shoulders, "I'm stronger. And I'm not putting you in danger."

Tyler slipped away, grabbing the stake and his vervain bracelet. Bonnie shrugged and went to get a beer. He didn’t want to listen? His funeral.

____

###  8.30 PM THE WOODS SURROUNDING FALLS

"Jeremy? Is that you?... Jeremy?" Vicki spun around, unnerved. Goosebumps pebbled her skin as she tried to shake off the feeling of danger. 

"Vicki!" Tyler came into view. Fog rolled around them, suffocating. "Stop it! This isn't funny anymore!" Vicki shrieked at him. Tyler gave her an incredulous look, "I'm not doing this! I'm here to protect you. Come, let's get out of here."

Tyler grabbed Vicki's hand and started moving. Only to collide with something hard. He looked up at Damon's fanged smile, "Hi!" 

Vicki gasped, "Oh my God!" Tyler pushed her behind him, stake in hand. "The name's Damon sweetheart, But you can call me that too," Damon's fangs were on full display.

"I'll show you, God," Tyler said as he charged Damon with the stake. Damon held Tyler by his neck, "Do I know you?" Tyler struggled for breath. Damon had lifted him off his feet. "Oh! You're the guy who ran me over! You hurt my feelings, man. You didn't even call 911."

Dark spots began appearing in Tyler's vision. He was going to die. Because he was stupid enough to try and take on a vampire alone. Vicki whimpered in fear. Damon pouted, “Don't cry. I'll kill your stupid boyfriend. And then we can go have fun at the party!"

"It's kinda exclusive to those who attend Mystic Falls High," the trio turned towards the new voice. Bonnie walked out of the fog, taking a swig from her bottle.

Damon leered at her, "Hello, short stack. You got some moves." Damon had almost lost track of Stefan watching the little minx set fire to the dance floor. Almost.

Bonnie shrugged, "Thanks. By the way, if you are looking for the blood bank, you took the wrong turn. It's the third right from here." She gestured with her bottle as she spoke.

Damon threw Tyler into the trees. Vicki screamed, unheard over the thumping music. Damon sped over to Bonnie, "I prefer mine at 98.6. And you look delicious."

Bonnie looked up at him, " Do I? Too bad I don't like suckers." Damon laughed, "Feisty. I like it!" He reached for Bonnie who raised her hands to put some distance between them, "Stay away."

"Or what?" Damon snatched the beer from her hands. Bonnie swiped at the bottle, "That's mine!" Damon held the bottle above her head and squinted at the label, "I don't see your name on it." He took a sip from it as she watched.

Bonnie huffed, "You shouldn't take drinks from strangers. You might be... allergic." Damon chuckled, "Do your homework darling. We aren't allergic to anything. Not garlic. Not crosses. Not holy water."

Bonnie grit her teeth, "I'm so fucking done!" Damon looked down at her, "What are you gonna do about it?" Tyler couldn't say what happened if you put a gun to his head. All he knew was, he heard a 'snikt'. There was a flash of metal in Bonnie's hand.

And then the said hand plunged into space between Damon's jacket. "That," Bonnie gloated. Vicki’s eyes volleyed between Damon and Bonnie like it was a tennis match.

Damon grunted, "Metal doesn't work for me." He tried to put a tough front but it was hard. Taking a knife to your heart did that. Damon had never seen it coming. Hadn't expected the little hellion to wield a knife. Or wield it that well.

The girl smirked at him. Damon spat some blood and pulled the knife out of his chest. Something was wrong. The pain didn’t lessen; nor did the wound close. How could it be? Damon had been feeding very well.

"What's... hunh," Damon began coughing mid-sentence. Blood spewed out of his mouth as he collapsed. The girl stepped over Damon and plucked the knife out of his hands, "Told you, you might be allergic." She wiped the knife clean with Damon's shirt.

Damon wheezed in protest. The girl walked towards the Tyler boy, "Are you OK? Does anything hurt?"

"Only my pride," Tyler smiled at Bonnie. She helped him stand up, after checking him for injuries. "What is he?" Vicki recovered from her shock. "That, Victoria, is a vampire," Bonnie told her.

"You killed him?" Vicki asked Bonnie. So that's why the guy mentioned garlic and crosses, huh? "Nah. He and I, we got history. While I don’t like him, I don’t want to kill him myself," Bonnie replied. The trio turned to look at the guy on the ground.

“I do,” Tyler sneered. He was yet to forgive Damon for letting him die alone in a car booty. Damon broke out in cold sweat when he realized they could kill him. He tried to make a sound that wasn't a death rattle. What had she done to him?

“How do we kill him?” Vicki asked, curious. “Wooden stake, fire or sunlight, if you can pry that ring off him,” Bonnie listed off, pointing to the ring in Damon’s hand.

Damon curled his hands into fists, afraid. His chest wound was bleeding unimpeded. He was beginning to feel cold. “I vote fire,” Tyler said. Bonnie shook her head, “Killing a vampire in public is asking for trouble. We can't dispose of him. They’ll file a homicide case.”

“You know what? Let’s leave him to rot. He’s going to die anyway,” Bonnie said. “Why would he be dying?” Vicki inquired. She was too calm. It mustn't have sunk in yet. Bonnie opened her mouth before turning to look at Damon.

“Why don’t we take this somewhere else?” Bonnie gave Vicki a crooked smirk. Tyler rolled his shoulders, “I still say we take him out before he becomes a problem.” Bonnie rolled her eyes, “I won’t let him touch you. Come.”

The trio walked away letting Damon languish in his own suffering.

____

###  9 PM BONFIRE

Caroline was ready to wring someone's neck. She had downed four beers. And searched every corner. Bonnie told her she needed to get a drink and proceeded to get lost for forty-five minutes. 

She was thinking about venturing into the forest when Stefan emerged from it. She decided it was a sign from above that she had a chance with Stefan. Stefan might need a more hands-on approach. Caroline downed her fifth beer and soldiered on.

"Hey! There you are. Have you been down to the falls yet? Because they are cool at night. And I can show you...if you want," Caroline flashed her eyebrows.

"You've had too much to drink," Stefan replied. Caroline giggled, "Well, of course, I have. So—" Stefan sighed, "Caroline. You and me, it's not gonna happen. Sorry."

"So glad you understand that, Stefan. She's way out of your league," Bonnie popped up behind Stefan. Tyler and Vicki followed her, looking like they had been rolling around in the leaves.

Stefan sniffed the air. Why was he smelling blood on Bonnie? She didn't look hurt. He considered it; she might be having her period. But then why hadn't he smelled it when Bonnie came to the party?

Caroline squinted at Stefan, "Stefan, why are your eyes red?" Stefan turned around and rubbed his eyes. "Um, nothing. It's an eye condition," he said.

"C'mon Care-bear. Let's get you someone better than Mr. Creepy-Nerd here," Bonnie bared her teeth in a smile. She threw her hand over Caroline's shoulder and led her away. 

____

###  9.15 PM MYSTIC FALLS PARKING

Bonnie hoisted Caroline into the passenger seat. “I’m so dumb,” Caroline moaned. “No, you are not,” Bonnie replied, “I’ll get you home. Let me send them off.” She pointed to Tyler and Vicki.

“I want coffee first,” Caroline hollered and laid her head back. Bonnie gave her a thumbs-up as she got to the duo. She pulled out a locket from her shirt. 

“I need you to wear this, Vick. Everywhere. 24X7,” Bonnie pressed the locket into Vicki’s hand. Vicki, bemused by Bonnie’s intensity, accepted the chain, “Okay.”

“That should keep you safe from people who try to screw your mind,” Bonnie added, with a meaningful look. "And this,” Tyler handed Vicki the makeshift stake. Bonnie rolled her eyes, “The best course of action with vamps is avoiding them.”

“Don’t invite anybody you don’t know into your house,” Tyler said. “How come you guys know all this?” Vicki looked at the duo. They were acting like a vampire attack was an everyday thing.

Tyler and Bonnie shared a glance. Bonnie watched the people still enjoying the party, “I’ll explain more tomorrow. You stay safe, ok?” Bonnie went to her car and drove off.

Vicki stood with Tyler in silence. “Are you trying to fuck her?” She asked. “Why would you think that?” Tyler grouched. He wasn’t a sex fiend. “I saw you on the dance floor, Lockwood. Were you trying to make me jealous? If so, you failed,” Vicki snapped. “We were only having fun!” Tyler retorted.

“I should warn Bonnie. You have a roving eye and the attention span of a goldfish,” Vicki jeered. “And I should warn Jeremy what a user you are,” Tyler hit back. Two can play that game.

“Please. Like you aren’t going to use Bonnie like tissue and throw her away when the time comes,” Vicki condescended. “I would never! I respect her,” Tyler said. “Wow. Tyler Lockwood respects a girl. That’s a first,” Vicki sneered and walked away. Tyler sighed and rubbed his face. 

____

###  9.30 PM BONFIRE

Stefan went towards Elena after he was sure he had it under control. "I was wondering who abducted you, but now I know," Elena said with a smile. Stefan smiled back, " Is she like that with, uh, all the guys?" 

"No. You're fresh meat. She'll back off eventually," Elena snarked. Stefan raised an eyebrow. Did she talk about her friend like that?

"Hmm. God, you gotta be kidding me!" Elena burst out. Stefan straightened up, "What is it?" Elena let out an aggravated sigh, "My brother."

Stefan followed her gaze, "The drunk one?" Elena started in his direction, "That would be the one. Excuse me." Stefan offered, "Need some help?"

Elena gave a nervous chuckle, "Trust me. You’re not going to want to witness this. Jeremy! Jeremy!" She walked into the woods, "Jeremy, where the hell are you going?" Jeremy marched off, "I don't want to hear it!" Elena pursued him, "Yeah, well, too bad!"

Stefan slowed down as he smelt blood. Familiar blood. Jeremy tripped over something and went sprawling. He turned and began hyperventilating, "Oh My God! He's dead!"

Stefan couldn't believe his eyes. Damon lay in a pool of blood, eyes closed. Stefan realized it was Damon's blood when he saw the chest wound. Stefan leaned down to touch Damon's face. 

Damon opened his eyes and gave him a pleading look. Elena gasped, "He's alive! Somebody help!" Matt, who had followed them into the forest, said, "Somebody, call an ambulance!" 

"No!" Stefan said. "I'll take him to the hospital myself. It might be too late when the ambulance arrives," he reasoned. Matt knelt to help Stefan with the lifting.

"I'll come with you," Elena said. "Don't worry; I’ll take care of it," Stefan rebuffed. He wasn't ready to let her in on his secret yet.

Stefan led them through the woods to the parking. He didn't need more audience. Not till he figured out who did this to Damon.

"He's so cold," Matt said, rubbing at the blood flaking off his palms. "You need to file a complaint with the sheriff. Someone stabbed him in the middle of a party!" Elena said.

"I'll see to it," Stefan said as he got into his car. He needed to find blood to nurse Damon back to health first.

____

###  10.00 PM MAINLINE COFFEE HOUSE

Bonnie texted Grams as she sipped her coffee. She looked up at a sad Caroline, "Are you sober yet?" Caroline stirred her coffee, "No."

Bonnie stayed silent. Caroline lamented, "Why didn't he go for me? You know, how come the guys that I want never want me?"

She put her head in her hands, "I'm inappropriate. I always say the wrong thing. And...Elena always says the right thing. She doesn't even try!"

She thought back to Stefan, "And he just picks her. And she's always the one that everyone picks, for everything. And I try so hard, and...I'm never the one."

Bonnie held Caroline's hand, "He's not worth it. And that's not true." Caroline snorted, "Yeah, it is." Bonnie cupped Caroline's cheek, "You were my first best friend. I invited you to my b' day party first, remember?"

"Yeah. I do," Caroline mussed up her hair. "But you didn't come. Why?" Bonnie sipped her coffee. "My dad didn't want me to hang out with the delinquent kid. God, you used to get into so much trouble, back then," Caroline chuckled.

Bonnie joined her, "So did you." Caroline sighed, "Why can't everything be as simple as it used to be?" Bonnie thought about all the complications of the future. This was only the beginning.

Bonnie looked Caroline in the eye and said, "I want you to remember something, Caroline. You, were my first choice. I chose you. And I will always choose you. Over and over again. OK?" 

Caroline teared up, "Thank you." Bonnie wiped a stray tear off, "Why don't we have a sleepover, you and me? We can eat ice cream and talk about boy trouble." Caroline sniffed, "Sounds like a plan."

____

###  10.30 PM BENNETT HOUSEHOLD

Sheila sat in the dim hall, peering at the door every few minutes. Bonnie texted that she was safe and bringing Caroline over. But Sheila had found some unsettling details about Salvatores. 

The door creaked open inch by inch. Bonnie peeked in, then motioned Caroline to follow her. Sheila couldn't contain her amusement. "Had a good time?" Sheila asked. 

Both the girls jumped. "Grams! I told you not to stay up," Bonnie said. She steadied Caroline, who was tipping to one side. Sheila watched her grandkid pretend to be sober with fond eyes. 

"Caroline! Look at her. So sleepy. I better get her to bed," Bonnie laughed and began tackling the stairs. "The Advil is in the third cupboard in the kitchen," Sheila called out.

Bonnie skipped down after depositing Caroline in her bedroom. "Thanks, Grams," Bonnie said, sheepish. "Oh, Bonnie?" Sheila said. Bonnie turned. 

"Stay away from the Salvatore boy," Sheila emphasized. Bonnie shrugged, "Okay," and went back up. Sheila sighed. Bonnie's easy acceptance was setting off warning bells in Sheila's head.

____

###  1 AM BENNETT HOUSEHOLD

Bonnie sat in her favorite rocking chair, lavender tea within reach. The white furniture of the patio glowed under the starlight. Caroline tapped out the moment her head hit the pillow.

Grams retired to her room around midnight. Bonnie could tell; Grams fretted over the Salvatore return. The first time around, Grams didn't react like that.

Then again, Grams didn't know of Salvatore's return till Bonnie had fallen into the tomb. Bonnie mulled over how she could comfort Grams now. 

She detected the faint purr of a car pulling into the driveway. Bonnie craned to look over the fence. It was Tyler, in the same frumpled party clothes.

She waved him over, with a finger on her mouth. Tyler understood and jumped over the fence, quiet as a cat. He sat in the lounge next to Bonnie.

"Want some tea?" Bonnie offered. "No, thanks," Tyler declined. He sat in the quiet, thinking. Bonnie looked ethereal under the stars.

"Is there something you want to say?" Bonnie asked, sipping her tea.

"How did you put vervain in the beer without Damon finding out?" Tyler asked the million-dollar question.

"The vervain wasn't in the beer," Bonnie smirked. Tyler furrowed his brows. Then how?"Oh, my God. It was the knife, wasn't it?" Tyler was in awe. Why didn't he think of that? 

"In the grooves of the blade. It's my preferred way of getting vampires to talk. My trademark, if you will. The vervain sticks their wounds, and burns, like a flesh-eating bacteria," Bonnie said.

Tyler wondered, "How long will Damon be out?" Bonnie hummed, "That much vervain to the heart? At least three days, if he didn't dig it out."

Tyler looked surprised, "What did you do for a living, back then?" Bonnie waved a hand, "This and that. Pull a job with a good payoff. Burn through the cash. Take another job. Rinse, repeat."

"Sounds interesting," Tyler prompted. Bonnie never shared about herself. Ever. "It was. I lived like a king," Bonnie grinned.

"But you were lonely," Tyler fished. He wasn't over the fact that she had been alone when she was dying.

"I was alone, Tyler. Not lonely. I was quite happy. But you aren't here to talk about me. So spit it out," Bonnie sniped.

Tyler thought back to Vicki's parting shot. He wasn't using Bonnie. He didn't want to. 

"Thank you. You didn't have to come to my rescue. But you did," Tyler admitted. He could have died tonight—two days into his second chance.

"You saved my life first," Bonnie said. "How?" Tyler asked. "If you hadn't interrupted the spell, you'd be alive, and I'd be dead. Consider this a favor repaid," Bonnie said.

Tyler knew what he didn't come close to what Bonnie did. "Bonnie. Thank you for deciding to bring me back," Tyler said. She could have chosen anybody else. But she chose him.

"Show me your thanks by remaining alive," Bonnie patted his shoulder. Tyler gave her a wry smile, "I'll try." Bonnie signaled for him to wait and went inside.

Tyler snuck a sip of her tea. It tasted like heaven, and he regretted decline it now. Oh well, he could always come again for some.

"This should help you with that," Bonnie handed him a sleek grey box. Tyler opened it and gasped, "You got me a matching knife?"

Bonnie shrugged, "I never thanked you for taking me to Salem." Tyler pointed out, "You bought me food." Tyler still had a stash of goodies back home.

"And you got me... You know what? Take it and shut up," Bonnie demanded. Tyler shook his head, smiling. He flipped the knife open.

He traced the words engraved in its blade. Bonnie said, "It says,'Libera nos a malo' It's Latin for..."

"For 'deliver us from evil.' Isn't it?" Tyler finished. "It's the last line of the Lord's prayer," He explained.

"Never took you for a church boy," Bonnie teased. "We don't know much about each other, do we?" Tyler asked. Bonnie hummed in agreement.

"I'm so lucky to call you a friend, Bennett," Tyler said with quiet sincerity. Bonnie smirked, "You won’t survive with me as a foe, Lockwood."

Tyler smiled back, "Good night, Bonnie." He went to jump the fence. Bonnie looked at his receding form, "See you tomorrow, Ty."

  
  



	5. THE NIGHT BEFORE BONMAS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night of the comet part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys know both Bonnie and Tyler were Aquarians? I figured Bonnie was a Virgo and Tyler, Aries, from how they act in the show. In reality, Kat G is a VIRGO (Yay!) and Micheal Trevino is AN AQUARIUS!!! Now Aquarius is the sign of genius! Eccentric, charming, and devious. I have met my fair share of Aqua-dumbasses (Exhibit A- my sibling). But still, I don't think Bon and Ty can be as dumb as they were on the show. (My sibling can be the literal Satan when they want)

9 SEP 2009 3 AM THE WOODS

It was late. But he was feeling peckish. To be fair, he'd had a hell of a night dealing with him. At least he got to spend time with her. She was everything good in the world.

He heard three very human heartbeats and a conversation. Nearby, somebody shoveled dirt with vigor. Stefan prowled closer to get a better view. A tent loomed above the shrubbery.

____

Peyton kissed Lizzie with all the energy buzzing through him. Lizzie giggled and broke away. She put a hand on his chest, "Hey. Did you hear that?" Peyton strained his ears, "Hear what?"

"I heard thunder," Lizzie said, sitting up. But Peyton couldn't hear anything. He replied, "There's no thunder." Lizzie fretted, "Are you sure? Because if it rains, then we won't be able to see the comet."

"It's not gonna rain. Listen, I...got you a little something. It's back in the car. Don't you move," Peyton said. "Stay dry," Lizzie called out. "It's not gonna rain!" Peyton replied as he slipped out of the tent.

____

"Motherfucker," Bonnie cursed as she hit something metallic. She pulled out the shovel and inspected the blade. It seemed fine. She sifted the mud and pulled out a warped store sign.

She could not tell if it was her insomnia worsening or the excitement of breaking the curse. But she couldn’t sleep. So here she was, digging away her nervousness.

She wasn't leaving anything to chance. She had all the ingredients and the comet timing to the millisecond. Only site prep remained. She'd chosen the site with the best view of the comet.

A twig snapped. Bonnie sprang around, shovel in hand. She'd been itching to take out her frustrations on something. A man stood, knife in one hand and a pastry box in another, gaping.

____

Stefan swore. He'd been too focused on the guy and forgotten to watch his step. A rookie mistake. Bonnie would've caught him on it if not for the distraction. What WAS Bonnie doing out here, at this hour?

____

Peyton looked at the diminutive girl and her shovel. He spied leaves swept to the side and a circle drawn in some white substance. She stood at the center, digging what looked like a grave.

____

"I swear I'm not a serial killer!" "It's not what it looks like." Both of them spoke at once. They looked at each other and dissolved into chuckles. It was absurd.

Bonnie approached the man, shovel swinging; a casual threat. "If you are gonna stab me I'd like whatever you have in that box first," she said, planting the shovel and leaning on it.

The guy chortled, "I kinda want to stab myself, right now." Bonnie hooked her chin on her arm and raised an eyebrow. "I was gonna propose to my girlfriend by hiding the ring in this strudel. But I'm afraid she'll say no," the guy babbled.

"That's so sweet!" Bonnie smiled, "And stupid." The guy looked lambasted, "What?". Bonnie asked, "How long have you been together?" The guy scratched his head, "Seven years? We've been steady since college."

Bonnie stood arms akimbo, "Trust me bud. Your lady knows you are going to pop the question. She's willing to wait for a romantic proposal."

“How?”, Peyton stammered. “Call it a hunch,” Bonnie winked. The lady wouldn't have come to a spot this isolated if she hadn't trusted him that much.

"I'm hopeless at it," Peyton admitted. He thought she'd like a proposal under the stars. What happened instead was Lizzie bitching about the mosquitoes. And fretting over the weather.

"Well. There might be something. But I don't know if she'll like it..." Bonnie hemmed and hawed. Peyton asked, "What is it? Come on! Don't leave me hanging."

Bonnie leaned forward, "You know the waterfall in town? It's the site of two rivers merging. Legend says those who propose there, stay together for life. It's a popular spot for weddings."

Peyton could picture it. A cute little destination wedding with waterfalls as a backdrop. He lit up, "Lizzie would love it. She's obsessed with this destiny stuff." Bonnie shrugged, "You know her best."

"Do you know any place of stay, near the falls?" Peyton inquired. "There are a couple of inns in town. You might wanna stay away from the Salvatore Boarding House," Bonnie said. 

"Why?" Peyton asked. "Some horrible things have happened there," Bonnie stage whispered. Peyton guessed, "Murder?"

"Try massacre," Bonnie replied. Peyton shuddered. Bonnie nodded, "Yeah. Now. If I give you directions to the nearest inn, will you give me the pastry?" 

"Only if you tell me who this grave is for," the guy joked, "I'm Peyton, by the way." Bonnie shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Peyton. It’s for me. I’m going to bury myself in it to soak up all the powers from the comet."

Peyton laughed as Bonnie looked at him with an affable smile. "You are serious," Peyton stated. Creepy girl in the middle of the forest wanting to bury herself. This was the beginning of a horror movie.

Bonnie tilted her head, "Want me to make one for you and your girl?" Peyton thrust the pastry at her, backing away, "No, thanks. I'll take my chances with the inn."

Peyton sighed in relief when they left. He'd try asking directions from somebody, less... intense. If he'd known such weirdos roamed the woods, he wouldn't have insisted on camping. 

Bonnie smiled. Scaring away interlopers and a pastry out of it? Jackpot.

____

Bonnie almost dropped her strudel when someone stepped up behind her. And said, "There's no such superstition about the falls. Is there?"

She made a dramatic slow turn, hoping it was a hallucination. Stefan smirked, "I'm sorry. Did I scare you?" The asshole must be able to hear Bonnie's heart jack-rabbiting in her chest.

"Nah," she took a deliberate bite out of the pastry, "What are you doing here?". Stefan sat down at the opposite end of the log Bonnie had claimed.

"I can ask you the same thing," Stefan returned. "And don't say burying yourself," he added. Bonnie's heart rate spiked as she squinted at him.

It took Bonnie herculean effort to steady her heart the second time. How long had Stefan been watching her? Wasn't he supposed to spend the entire night with Elena?

Stefan loved provoking a reaction out of Bonnie. She had nothing but wary disdain for him. It was subtle; concealed in harmless jabs. But Stefan had had centuries to study people.

Bonnie made a 'duh' expression, "Keeping Mystic Falls safe from aliens." It was Stefan's turn to stare. "What? You don't believe it?" Bonnie asked.

Before Stefan could answer, she barreled on. "The comet is an alien spaceship, coming to spy on us. I'm making salt circles. It confuses them and prevents them from landing," she said. 

Bonnie got up to point at the hole in the center. "This," she said, "Is back-up if they manage to land. Those tiny landing legs will get stuck in it."

He blinked; unsure if she was being serious or sarcastic. Bonnie's phone chirped. "Wow! It's four already! I need to get back before Grams catches me out of bed. Ciao."

“As for the falls-thing, there was an article in the MF Daily. It's called reading the newspaper. You should try it sometime,” Bonnie got a parting shot in before she walked away.

Stefan tipped his head, “I’ll keep that in my mind." Neither his Harvard education nor his long dating life had prepared him to deal with this.

____

6 AM THE BENNETT HOUSEHOLD

Sheila ambled towards the kitchen bleary-eyed. She had the unenviable task of waking up two hungover girls. The smell of coffee made her pause. Did somebody break into the house? 

She spied Bonnie walking up to the coffee maker. Sheila watched Bonnie tip the carafe into her mouth. The entire carafe was empty in five minutes. Was Sheila impressed or appalled? Both, it was.

"Nasty child," Sheila berated, "Do you want to burn off your tongue?" Bonnie stretched and grinned, "Morning to you too, Grams." Sheila snatched the carafe and washed it to make more coffee.

"Did you sleep well?" Sheila asked, grabbing a cup. Bonnie, back at the dining table, hummed. She was poring over a map. Sheila took the coffee and went to sit by her.

Bonnie managed to look elegant in dungarees and a daisy printed half sleeved t-shirt. A light citrusy scent floated off her, making Sheila feel energized by mere proximity.

"What are you looking for?" Sheila peeked; it was a map of Mystic Falls. "The best place to watch the comet," Bonnie replied, marking off a spot with a pencil.

"I thought you were watching the comet in the town square?" Sheila asked. She didn't want Bonnie wandering alone in the woods. Not if what Sheila suspected was lurking around.

"I want to watch the comet by myself," Bonnie said. "No," Sheila refused, point-blank. Bonnie looked surprised; Grams was very laid back with the rules. What changed?

Sheila started, "Baby, that comet is a sign of impending doom. The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity."

"Paranormal activity? Like the film?" Bonnie asked. "There are worse things out there, Bonnie," Sheila replied. Bonnie hid her smile. She'd faced, befriended, and killed many of the ‘worse things’. Had even been one of them.

Sheila waited for Bonnie's ridicule. But Bonnie seemed more thoughtful than skeptical. Sheila decided to ease Bonnie into the topic, "What do you know of vampires?"

Bonnie pretended to think, "They drink blood?" Sheila nodded, "They can also control people's minds. I want you to carry vervain on you everywhere. Make Caroline take it too."

Bonnie nodded along. So Sheila suspected vampires were in town. Bonnie would bet fifty bucks, Sheila knew who the vampire was. The question was, how did Sheila come to know?

"Is every vampire bad, Grams?" Bonnie wanted to know Grams' opinion. "For a witch, every vampire is bad, child," Sheila said, thinking of the daughter she lost. 

Bonnie saw the pained look in her eyes. “Hey, enough of the gloomy talk! I made waffles!” Bonnie gushed. A groan from above interrupted their tête-à-tête.

“Turn it off,” Caroline moaned. “Uh-huh,” Bonnie winced in sympathy. Caroline's hangover must be magnificent. “ I better go, Grams,” Bonnie told Grams as she skipped away.

Sheila watched Bonnie go. She hadn’t divined in a long time. But something told her. No matter what she did, Sheila couldn’t stop what was coming for Bonnie.

____

7.30 AM DONOVAN HOUSEHOLD

"V, come on. I'm going to be late for school!" Matt hollered. His sister was still in the bathroom, bitching about the lack of hot water. Although Matt had saved enough hot water to have a decent bath. 

"Late for mooning over your ex, you mean?" Vicki sniped, banging the shaky bathroom door shut. She handed Matt lunch money. He ignored the jab and calculated how much of the money he could spare for gas.

He hated asking Vicki for money. But they were running out of food. He needed to make a grocery run soon. He was eating the last of the cereal in the house. 

The supermarket over at Charlottesville had a lot of discounts. Skipping lunch today meant enough gas to make the trip. Or they might have to go to sleep hungry for another week.

"Have some breakfast before you leave, harpy," Matt chided. Vicki grabbed some cereal out of his bowl, "Thanks for the cereal, loser." "Anytime," Matt snarked. 

Vicki pinched him in retaliation. She said, " Wear this. OK? It should keep you safe from vampires. One attacked me last night, " Vicki slipped the pendant off her neck and onto Matt's.

"Vampire? Are you high?" Matt squinted at her. Vicki blustered, "I saw it myself! He had fangs and everything!" It was insulting how Matt assumed everything she said was a drug-fuelled fantasy.

Matt started laughing, clutching his stomach, "Someone played you, Vic. How much did you pay for this?" Vicki protested, "I didn't pay for it! It's real."

"Then it must be a prank. You know Halloween fangs are a thing, right?" Matt asked. Vicki frowned; it was possible. Tyler was immature enough to do something like that. But why did Bonnie do it?

Vicki ground her teeth; they must have been laughing at her behind her back. "Whatever. I was going to tell you to take precautions, anyway," Matt said, taking his bowl to the sink.

He turned to look at her, "Somebody stabbed a guy in the woods at the party yesterday." Vicki felt fingers of ice creep up her spine. She remembered the knife, dripping blood, in all its gory detail. 

"When did you find him?" Vicki asked. "Around 9.30," Matt said. Vicki sucked in a breath, "This guy, are you sure he was...alive?" Vicki prodded.

Bonnie had stabbed him in the chest. Vicki was no doctor, but you didn’t survive a wound like that. If you were human.

Matt said, "Yeah. Opened his eyes and everything. But I couldn't feel his pulse, at all. Must've been the blood loss. Stefan took him to the hospital." 

"Why are you asking?" Matt asked. "What? I was curious. Keep wearing that pendant OK? For me," Vicki walked away.

As they neared the school, Vicki became convinced; last night was a prank gone wrong. She needed to talk to Tyler asap.

____

8.00 AM MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL

Vicki found Tyler standing with the footballers. She dragged Tyler into an empty classroom. "You piece-of-shit, murdering asshole!" Vicki hissed. "You and your girlfriend killed a guy to prank me!" 

"What do you mean, Vic? That guy was a vampire. You can’t kill a vampire by stabbing him!" Tyler said, baffled. Damon hadn't been exactly shy at showing off all things vampire.

"Yeah, contact lenses and Halloween fangs," Vicki sneered. She only realized that after Matt pointed it out. She fumed to herself.

"Matt and Stefan found that guy bleeding to death in the woods," Vicki informed him. She began hyperventilating, "Oh my God, I'm gonna go to jail BECAUSE of you and your stupid girlfriend!"

"Not if you keep your mouth shut," Tyler and Vicki jumped at the sound of Bonnie's voice. Bonnie stepped in, closing and locking the door behind her.

Vicki backed away as Bonnie advanced. "Stay away from me!" Vicki said in a quivering voice. Bonnie had a bland smile on her face that was scary and pleasant at once.

Bonnie buffed her nails on her dungaree, "I will, Victoria. If you keep your nose out of our business." Bonnie tilted her head toward Tyler, "Also, he ain't my boyfriend."

Vicki shivered and stammered out, "You... you stabbed a guy. You evil bitch." Bonnie said in an agreeable tone, "That I am." Tyler watched as Bonnie cornered Vicki against a desk.

"Bonnie you don't need to do this," Tyler spoke up. He had never seen Bonnie behave like this before. Bonnie planted a pristine-white sneakered foot on the desk beside Vicki.

Vicki cowered, despite being taller and bigger. Bonnie never took her eyes off Vicki as she snapped, "Shut up, Ty." Tyler felt cold. Bonnie was smiling, but her voice was ice.

She grinned at Vicki, "Now, Vicki dear. You are smart. You know what I can do and I don't WANT to do that to you. Do you get me?" Bonnie slanted her head.

Vicki swallowed against the lump in her throat, "Yes." Bonnie clapped her hands, "Perfect. Wear your necklace and be a good girl." Bonnie stepped away. Vicki stumbled towards the door. 

"And," Bonnie started. Vicki froze, midstep. "No talking about vampires to anybody," Bonnie enunciated, slow and menacing. Vicki nodded and dashed out. "See ya!" Bonnie called out, cheerful.

"Why didn't you correct her?" Tyler sounded vexed. Bonnie stared at the door as she questioned, "Hmm?" Tyler clarified, "You let her believe vampires aren't real."

Bonnie huffed, "People believe what they want to believe Tyler. I can't help it." Tyler sneered, "Don't twist it around on her! She doesn't know. Not like you and I do." 

He stepped up to Bonnie, "You've put her at risk, Bonnie. When Damon comes back, he'll kill us all. And it will be your fault."

Bonnie locked her jaw, "If you're done pointing fingers, I found a solution. Help me break my curse. I will take care of Damon." Tyler curled his lip, "Why not do it yourself?"

"I tried. Along came the devil and ruined all my plans," Bonnie said in a sing-song voice. Tyler stalled. "You mean…,” He began. Bonnie completed his thought, "Stefan? Yes."

He stared at Bonnie with wide eyes. "How did that happen?" Tyler demanded. He had to know. Was Stefan onto them? Did he know what they did to Damon?

Bonnie gave Tyler the cliff-notes version of last night. Tyler took a moment to process his emotions. He failed.

"ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY? Why did you go it alone? I came to you last night. I could've come with you, to help!" Tyler knew he was yelling. Bonnie rolled her eyes, "You forget you are still human. I don't want to put you at risk."

The deja-vu was vertigo-inducing. Tyler shot back, "So are you, Bon. If Stefan decided to break his diet, you would be fucking DEAD!"

Bonnie shushed him, "I know." She had the gall to look as if Tyler was making a scene. Tyler rubbed at his brow, and tried again in a calm voice, "Do you? You don't have to do everything yourself, Bonnie. You can ask for help."

Bonnie scoffed, "That's what I'm trying to do! And what did you tell me? To do it myself!" She unlocked the classroom door and turned, "You know what? Forget it. I SHOULD do it alone."

Tyler tried to ignore the gnawing in his chest as Bonnie marched away, chin up. 

____

10 AM CLASSROOM

Bonnie stifled a yawn as she crafted a sigil for good luck in the back of her textbook. She didn't get how the comet related to history. At least Tanner seemed to be enthusiastic about it. 

"...discovered 5 centuries ago. It hasn't been over Mystic Falls in over 145 years," Tanner added. "Now, the comet will be brightest after dusk during tomorrow's celebration," he said.

Tanner scanned the classroom, "Are we bothering you, Mr. Salvatore? Ms. Gilbert?" Their history teacher had an eye on their resident vampire. Awesome. Not. Bonnie face-planted; why did she come back to school, again?

__

Bonnie smiled, enjoying her freedom from Tanner's kingdom. She pitied the boys who had to put up with him in soccer coaching.

"I hate everything and everybody," Caroline declared, squinting at the foyer. "Even me?" Bonnie quipped. "I'll love you more if you make the sun go away," Caroline said, bending to bury her face in Bonnie's shoulder. 

"Aw, Care," Bonnie handed her the hangover juice. Caroline sipped it as she used Bonnie's head as an armrest, "How come you aren't hungover?" Bonnie slipped away from Caroline’s arm, "I had like, half a beer. Had to drive us back, remember? How many did you have?" 

Caroline followed her, "Two? Ten? Who cares? I'm not going to drink ever again." Bonnie chuckled, stifling a yawn. At Least today was a half-day. Bonnie was going to sleep away the day before going site hunting.

____

12.00 PM HIGH SCHOOL WALKWAY

Bonnie watched Elena and Matt walking side by side and facepalmed. There was being supportive and then there was stringing along.

Bonnie power-walked to reach them. Neither noticed Bonnie trailing them. Elena asked, soft, "Did you get in touch with your mom?"

Matt made a moue, "Called and left a message. She's in Virginia Beach with her boyfriend, so...we'll see how long it takes her to come home this time."

Bonnie spied Stefan sitting on a table, head cocked. "Last night was so disturbing. Are you alright?" Matt asked Elena. 

Elena nodded. Bonnie guessed he was talking about him and Stefan discovering Damon. So, Elena was there too?

"Vicki says a vampire attacked her last night," Matt dropped the bomb out of blue. Bonnie tensed, eyes drifting to Stefan.

Elena tittered, "OK, that is weird.” Matt laughed with her, "I think she was drunk. So what's up with you and the new guy?"

Bonnie dashed away, unmindful of Elena's reply. She needed to get to Vicki before Stefan did.

____

Bonnie dialed on the go. "Hey Grams," Bonnie said, breathless, "Can I invite Matt and Vicki over for dinner?"

Grams replied, "What's the occasion?" Bonnie slowed down as she spotted Vicki. She said, "Matt was lamenting how he missed his mom. Wanna cheer them up, you know?"

Grams hummed, "Fine. Bring groceries when you come back." Bonnie's face broke into a wide grin, "I love you, Grandma."

Grams said in a fond voice, "Bye, baby." Bonnie slid the phone into her pocket and sauntered into the stoner circle.

The stoners startled; a prep was in their territory. "Vic. Vicki. Victoria. I have something to tell you and Matt," Bonnie announced. 

"No," Vicki stuttered, eyes wide. Bonnie rolled her eyes, "Don't be shy! Let's find Matt." She tugged Vicki across the quad.

"Hey, Matt!" Bonnie found Matt sitting at the table Stefan vacated. "Bonnie," Matt raised a brow when he saw Vicki with her.

"Grams wants you and Vic to come by for dinner tonight. Said she missed seeing you guys," Bonnie said. Matt seemed delighted.

When Bonnie dragged her away, Vicki had expected a knife in her back. Not a dinner invitation. Still, her mouth watered at the memory of Sheila's cookies.

"Are you sure? We don't want to bother you," Matt spoke. Bonnie held up a hand, "Stop talking before I fall asleep. Also, I gotta pick up groceries before going home. You guys should come with."

Matt grinned. Luck was smiling upon him today. "Can we go to the market in Charlottesville? They have some good stuff" he asked. He'll get dinner and his weekly shopping done. Sweet.

"Sure, why not?" Bonnie said, before walking away, Vicki in her grasp. “Let’s get some lunch for you,” Matt heard Bonnie tell Vicki. Matt shrugged to himself. Stranger things have happened.

____

1 PM MYSTIC GRILL

Bonnie and out, watching coffee swirl around her stirring spoon as Elena talked. Vicki nibbled on her pasta while shooting furtive glances at Bonnie.

Caroline didn't seem to mind Vicki's presence as long as Vicki kept her mouth shut. Elena regaled them with Stefan visiting her last night.

Caroline turned to Elena, "So then what?" Elena waved a hand, "So then nothing." Stefan had spent time with Elena AND stumbled onto Bonnie? Bonnie thought that was some colossal bad luck on her part.

Caroline confirmed, "You and Stefan talked all night? There was no sloppy first kiss or touchy-feely of any kind?" Elena had a dreamy smile on, "Nope. We didn't go there." Bonnie shook her head. Ah, to be young and stupid and in love.

Caroline pressed, "Not even a handshake? I mean, Elena, we are your friends. Ok? You should share the smut." Bonnie intercepted, "Actually, I don't wanna know. Stefan hates me and snubbed Care. He can go jump in a ditch."

Elena gasped while Caroline reached over to pinch Bonnie's hand. "Stop being mean," Caroline chided. "Stefan having different opinions than you isn't the same as hating you," Elena added.

"He was very polite. He knew I was drunk and didn't want to take advantage. He's such a gentleman," Caroline said. Bonnie rolled her eyes and stuffed her mouth with fries. 

Elena looked pleased with Caroline's assessment. "Yeah. We just talked for hours," Elena added. As if that added another point under Stefan's-a-gentleman column.

Caroline huffed, "OK, what is with the blockage? Just jump his bones already! Ok, it's easy. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, sex!"

Elena smirked, "Profound." Bonnie hated it when people made it seem like Caroline was shallow for liking sex. 

Like hello? They were hormonal teens. What else were they supposed to think about? The future? It was all going to dogs anyway.

Elena got up and hefted her bag. Bonnie frowned, "Where are you going?"

Elena smiled, "Caroline's right. It is easy. If I sit here long enough, I'll end up talking myself out of it instead of doing what I started the day saying I was going to do."

Bonnie deadpanned, "She's going to see Stefan, isn't she?" Caroline spread her hands, "Duh!" 

“Sure, go to the house of the guy who you met only two days ago. What could go wrong?” Bonnie muttered. “Don’t be such a sourpuss, Bon Bon,” Caroline reprimanded. 

Bonnie slammed back the syrupy coffee and wondered how the MFG had survived past their teens. Their teenage dumbassery involved walking up to Dracula’s castle, after all.

____

3 PM CHARLOTTESVILLE SUPERMARKET

Matt asked, "Did you get everything?" He was pushing the overloaded cart. Vicki picked things off his list. They'd foraged through the entire store by the end of it.

"Yeah," Vicki said. "Listen. I..." Vicki began hushed. A bag of lollipops landed on their cart, stunning both. Bonnie smiled, angelic. Matt picked up the bag, "Who needs so many lollipops?"

"I do," Bonnie said in a mischievous tone. "C'mon. Let's check out. I want to get some ice cream for dessert," Bonnie added and sashayed away.

The checkout line was chock-full of people. Vicki guessed they were all buying stuff for the comet celebrations tomorrow. It was a local holiday after all.

"Hurry up, lady!" Someone shouted, jerking her out of musings for tomorrow. Vicki identified the person who was being told to hurry.

She couldn't have been older than thirty. But her clothes and posture made her look ancient. A child in similar washed out clothes stood by her. 

She was what Vicki feared she would become; a single mom working more jobs than she can take. Kelly had once tried to be this for them. Before the alcohol stepped into their lives, that is.

The lady combed through her purse, frantic. A nervous chuckle escaped her. "Huh. I swear I had enough cash," she said, apologetic, to the teenage cashier.

She kneeled to the kid's level, "Sweetie, Why don't we skip on the cupcake today? Mommy will make you a HUGE cake on your birthday, OK?"

"Let's keep that cake, " Bonnie said loud and clear. She smiled "Also the bread. And the veggies. Can't forget them!" Bonnie added back every item the lady had put off to lower the bill amount. 

"No, it's alright. We can..." she began. Bonnie put a hand on hers and said, "No, please let me." Bonnie tilted her head, "You remind you of someone." 

Bonnie knew the cruel pain of hunger. Her life post-Mystic Falls hadn't always been rosy. Especially when she ran out of money. It had taken Bonnie a while to learn to monetize her magic.

Bonnie paid up and handed the bags to the lady. The child trilled, "Thank you, Miss." Bonnie ruffled its hair and waved them away. A man scoffed behind them, "These welfare queens sure know how to spot the suckers."

The lady flinched and Bonnie turned, steel-faced. "Sir, I WILL break your jaw, if you don't stop talking," Bonnie said, the creepy smile on.

The man's pasty skin paled further. Bonnie's grin widened. "Leave," she hissed and the man scrambled away, unnerved. Vicki watched in awe as Bonnie's face returned to normal.

____

Vicki stole glances through the rearview mirror. Bonnie drove, sunglasses on, and lollipop in her mouth. The perfect picture of unbothered arrogance. Matt rode shotgun, fiddling with the radio.

At the stop sign, Bonnie pulled the lollipop out of her mouth. "Is there something on my face?" Bonnie asked through the rearview mirror. Matt turned, brows furrowed. 

Bonnie hooked a thumb towards Vicki. "Why did you do it?" Vicki asked. Bonnie put the lollipop back into her mouth and ran her fingers through her hair, thinking.

The light turned yellow. "Because it made me feel good," Bonnie spoke the truth. She pushed down her glasses to look into Vicki's eyes via the mirror, "And I'll do ANYTHING that makes me feel good."

Bonnie winked and restarted the car as the light turned green. Vicki shivered; that had been a promise and a threat.

____ 

5 PM LOCKWOOD MANSION

"Mind your words, woman!"

"Richard Charles Lockwood! Don't you dare walk away from me."

Tyler sighed as he listened to his parents' shouting match. He chugged the chocolate milk and wondered why they were still together.

Carol walked into the kitchen, looking haggard. She went straight for the vodka, before seeing Tyler sitting at the island. Carol smiled and came to sit by him.

"Hello, sweetheart. How was school?" Carol asked, rubbing Tyler's cheek. Tyler smiled back, "Same old. Mom, why haven't you left him yet?"

Carol sighed, "It isn't that simple, Ty." Tyler snorted, "This marriage is turning you into a nervous wreck, mom. Walk away. Looks simple enough to me."

"I almost did. Once. When you were five," Carol mused. "He sent me a room full of flowers to apologize," Carol said. Tyler asked, "You came back for flowers?"

Carol clasped Tyler's hand, "A disagreement isn't the end of a relationship, sweetie. I love Richie. Even though he can be too stupid to apologize when he's wrong. You'll get it when you're older."

Tyler wanted to say he was twenty-five, mind-wise. Or forty-seven, if his dead-years counted. Tyler realized, there was somebody he owed an apology too.

Tyler slid around the kitchen island, picking up his car keys. "Where are you going?" Carol inquired. "I got something I must do, mom. Love you," Tyler kissed his mother's cheek on the way out.

“Will you be back for dinner?" Carol called out. "Yes mom," Tyler replied as he grabbed some of his mother's bluebells. It was a long shot, but he was willing to do it.

____

5.30 PM BENNETT HOUSEHOLD

"Put that in the oven for me, dear," Sheila instructed Matt. Bonnie was busy, chopping vegetables for the salad. Vicki was in the backyard, fixing the broken porch light.

Sheila had told the Donovan kids to sit back; Bonnie was more than happy to help with the dinner. But the children insisted on helping her around the house.

Sweethearts, both of them. It was a shame, their mother abandoned them. Sheila tried to get the town council to do something for the kids. But child care services weren't a thing in this town.

The doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Bonnie said and made her way to the door. Sheila went to check on the cookies on the cooling rack. 

Bonnie opened the door and stared. Tyler stood, clutching a bunch of bluebells. "Hey," Tyler said with a rueful smile and thrust the flowers at Bonnie.

Bonnie leaned on the door frame, "What for?" Tyler ducked his head, "I had no right pinning that on you after you did so much for me. Us."

Tyler went down on one knee, "Will you forgive me, Bonnie?" Bonnie bit her lower lip to stop the smile; Tyler was so adorable when he was earnest. 

"You plucked them at the roadside, didn't you?" Bonnie asked. "My mom's garden, actually," Tyler said. He looked up at Bonnie with hopeful eyes from behind the flowers in his hand.

"Don't you pull that puppy dog face with me, young man," Bonnie wagged a finger at him. Sheila came up at Bonnie's shoulder, "Who's there at the... Tyler. What's going on?"

Bonnie turned with a smile, "We fought, Grams. Come in, Ty." Bonnie took the flowers from Tyler and ushered him inside. Grams' eyebrows had disappeared into her hairline as she followed them.

Matt came out of the kitchen, "I hope that pie comes out alright. Uh. Hey man." Matt said seeing Tyler. Tyler nodded to Matt. Bonnie rounded the sofa and put the bluebells in a vase. 

"So, Tyler. Want some cookies? Tea? Coffee?" Sheila asked. "Sure, Mrs. Bennett. Lavender tea please," Tyler said as Matt joined him on the sofa. Bonnie went to sit on the sofa.

"Bonnie baby. Why don't you come to help me get the cookies," Sheila told. Bonnie shrugged and went to the kitchen. Matt turned to Tyler with a smirk, "Lavender tea?"

"Don't knock it till you try it!" Tyler defended. Bonnie chuckled as she went to put some tea. Sheila plated some cookies, "Baby, Why is the Lockwood boy bringing you flowers?"

"I told you, Grams. We fought. And he is apologizing," Bonnie said as she reached for the honey. Grams crossed her arms and shot her a look. “It was a big fight,” Bonnie clarified.

Grams smiled, “Look up the meaning of bluebells,” and walked away. Bonnie shook her head. Grams could be so weird when she wanted to. Tyler all but pounced on the cookies; nobody made chocolate chip cookies like Sheila.

Bonnie secured a couple for herself before settling down in the lounge. Matt and Grams engaged Tyler in conversation. Tyler texted Bonnie, 'I wanna help. How.'

Bonnie texted back 'Meet here @ 12. Bring shovels.' Tyler nodded to Bonnie. Sheila watched the exchange hiding a smile of her own. Youngsters in love were so obvious.

Vicki came in, "All the porch lights are good, Grams. You want me to..." She trailed off seeing Tyler. Sheila beckoned Vicki, "Come have some tea, dear."

"What is he doing here?" Vicki muttered to Matt, as she accepted her tea. "Apologising to Bonnie with bluebells," Grams answered, mirth in her voice. 

Tyler flushed. Vicki shot Bonnie an odd look. "Mrs. Bennett, Thank you for the cookies. Mom wanted me to run some errands for her," Tyler excused himself.

"Off you go then," Grams smiled as she sent off Tyler. Bonnie waved and winked. Tyler sent back a smile as he made his way home, feeling lighter.

The dinner went well; Matt and Sheila's mince pie was a hit. Even Vicki forgot her wariness for Bonnie and indulged. Sheila asked the Donovan children to stay the night.

Bonnie convinced Matt and Vicki to stay, promising to give them a ride back to school to pick up Matt's car tomorrow. Matt decided to sleep on the sofa while Vicki was to share with Bonnie.

____

11.30 PM BENNETT HOUSEHOLD

They had a cup of hot chocolate before retiring to their beds. Vicki sat on Bonnie's bed, in Bonnie's tiny clothes, with a sullen look. Bonnie changed into a tracksuit.

"What are you doing?" Vicki seethed. Bonnie paused, eye drops in hand to look at Vicki. "I'm not going to run off to tell the cops. You don't need to watch over me like some hawk," Vicki spat.

Bonnie turned and put drops in her left eye, "Do you think the cops will listen to you, sweetheart?" Vicki huffed, "Then why are you doing this?" 

Bonnie giggled as she came to sit before Vicki, "Victoria darling. Do not search for a method in my madness. Because there is none." She slipped away, to pack a messenger bag. 

Vicki yawned; the heavy dinner was making her sleepy. "Is that why Tyler likes you so much?" Vicki speculated. Bonnie ignored her as she traipsed around the room.

Vicki laid down on the bed, "He never brought me flowers." She whispered into the dim room. Bonnie paused, before continuing, "Then he's an idiot."

"Why?" Vicki asked, drowsy. "Because, if you were mine, I would bring you flowers as pretty as yourself, every day," Bonnie said. Vicki snored, having slipped away while Bonnie was talking. Bonnie smiled and tucked her in.

____

11.50 PM OUTSIDE THE BENNETT HOUSE

Tyler drummed his fingers against his thigh. He was antsy, planning on keeping safe while they picked a curse-breaking site. Even Richard had picked up on it during dinner. 

Tyler parked his Buick a few houses away when something caught his eye. A moving silhouette in the darkness within the fence. Goosebumps pebbled his skin; Stefan was in Bennett's garden.

Tyler whipped out his phone to call Bonnie. His heart stopped when the vampire turned in his direction. Only after Stefan turned away did Tyler breathe. Texting, it was.

____

"If you were mine, I would bring you flowers as pretty as yourself, every day" 

Stefan raised an eyebrow; so Bonnie had a few secrets of her own. And Vicki telling her she won't go to the cops. What was THAT about?

Stefan cocked his head; a picture was forming before his eyes. It was up to him to puzzle it out. He heard a car pull up and turned to look. 

Tyler Lockwood sat grabbing his phone in a white-knuckled grip. Stefan frowned; he'd heard Bonnie packing. Were they running away together?

____

A chirp made Bonnie remember; she'd forgotten to get her phone. She located her phone within the depths of her school bag. A message from Tyler.

'Stefan is out ur house' So Tyler had arrived. 'I no' Bonnie texted back. The texting keypad was vexing; she couldn't wait for the touchpads to arrive.

Tyler choked when he read Bonnie's text. He punched out the reply as fast as he could, 'HE'S STALKIN U?' Leave it to Bonnie to leave out the important info.

'No. He's stalkin V.D.', the response came. Tyler felt ashamed. It took him a moment to figure out Bonnie meant Vicki Donovan and not Venereal Disease.

Before he could answer, another text pinged, 'Do u hav a gun?' Tyler frowned and replied, 'S.' Tyler had swiped his dad's shotgun. It was ready to go; locked and loaded.

Bonnie eyed the vervain as she waited for Tyler's text. She whooped at the 'S'. She hoped Tyler was as good at firing guns as he was at throwing away his potential.

'Cn u aim?' Bonnie's response made Tyler snort. Richard had made Tyler take professional lessons at a firing range. Tyler NEEDED to be a proper gun-loving Southern gentleman after all.

'YES' came the answer. In full caps. Bonnie rolled her eyes. She shook the bottle as she made her way to the window. 'Aim fr d botl 1st', she typed.

A second message popped before Tyler could understand the first. 'Nd den d hed.' Tyler furrowed his brows; What did she mean? Tyler grabbed the gun and got out. 

Bonnie put on her socks and tiptoed to the roof. She breathed in and out keeping as calm as she could. Once she was on the roof she looked down.

Tyler was easier to spot. The glint of the gun was unmistakable. Stefan took some squinting. Bonnie made a note to buy night vision glasses. 

‘On d ruf’ Bonnie texted and Tyler looked up with narrowed eyes. Bonnie texted again, ‘‘Wait til d botl is abov him’ and flung the bottle away.

Stefan heard a gun cock and before he knew, hellfire rained on him. It felt like his skin was melting off. He couldn't understand; what was happening? And then there was a piercing pain in his skull and the world faded away.

Bonnie clapped from above, "Not bad." Both the bottle and the headshot were perfect. Tyler planted the shotgun on the ground and bowed. 

Bonnie went to her room and picked up her bag. Vicki was fast asleep. She checked on Grams and Matt, and all the doors and windows before leaving the house.

"I'm impressed. You made an accurate headshot in the dark," Bonnie marveled as she locked the front door. "All those fowl-hunting trips are paying off," Tyler said, looking at Stefan's corpse.

“You put vervain in that bottle,” Tyler observed the glass shards. “Stir in some bleach, vinegar, and a dash of hot sauce. Banishes even the most persistent vampires,” Bonnie said. 

Tyler chuckled and then winced in sympathy. He remained how vervain burns felt. That would feel horrible.

"Wooden bullet?" Bonnie asked, turning Stefan’s face with her boot. "No. Dad only had normal ones," Tyler said. Bonnie shrugged before breaking off a tree branch and handing it to Tyler, "Wanna do the honors?"

Tyler shook his head and walked away, "I only have problems with Stefan when he covers for his brother." Bonnie hummed, "Don't let the romance-novel-stare fool you, Lockwood. THIS one is the more dangerous Salvatore."

He was thankful Sheila lived on a one tree hill. No pesky neighbors calling cops on them. "How come Grams didn't come running?" Tyler asked as he opened the car door for Bonnie.

Why didn't Sheila wake up at the sound of gunfire? Or Vicki, if she was inside the Bennett house? "I may have crushed a couple of sleeping pills into the hot chocolate," Bonnie said with an impish smile.

Tyler's eyes bulged, "You drugged your grandma?" Bonnie clicked on her seatbelt, "And Vicki. And Matt. It's for their safety. I didn't want them to let Stefan in if he came calling."

"What does he want with Vicki?" Tyler queried. "Vicki told Matt. Who told Elena. Whom Stefan was snooping on. That a vampire attacked Vicki," Bonnie finished.

Tyler blinked, "So Stefan knows?" Bonnie turned in her seat, "No, Stefan thinks Vicki knows and has been trying to get to her all day." Tyler clarified, "And you are keeping the Donovans safe?"

Bonnie said, "Woah! Hold the hero horses. I'm making sure Stefan doesn't know about our involvement in what happened to Damon." Tyler bit his lip and drove away. In some ways, Bonnie was still the same.

____

10 SEP 2009 5 AM THE WOODS

Tyler sat on the hood of his car, sipping Bonnie’s coffee. He was careful not to spill any on the car; it tasted like paint thinner. 

When he had asked, Bonnie gave him a dead-eyed stare and said, "I haven't slept in forty-eight hours." He observed her drawing lines with salt.

"Why are we in the woods behind our school?" Tyler asked. "To prep the site," Bonnie said with a questioning glance.

"I know. Why didn't you choose this site first?" Tyler retorted. "Because. All it takes to destroy this is one curious student stumbling over it," Bonnie pointed at the drawing. 

"Since our school is out for the comet thing, I aim to use it and then destroy it tomorrow. Er, today, " Bonnie elaborated. As she wiped off a smudge from the circle.

"But why our school?" Tyler felt he had to know. Bonnie took the time to explain to him instead of waving him off with 'coz-I-said-so.' It was fascinating.

Bonnie kneeled back, "Did you know the grounds our school is on, belonged to the Apisi tribe?"

"Huh?" The name sounded familiar to Tyler. "They were a tribe of werewolves. Mikael slaughtered them after he discovered Esther cheated on him," Bonnie explained.

"Our school is the site of a werewolf massacre?" Tyler reeled. "Yeah. Plenty of bad jujus for me to harness," Bonnie wiggled her salt-coated fingers.

"You aren't angry?" Tyler huffed. The unfairness of it stung him. Mikael deserved his horrible death at Klaus' hands. 

Bonnie sighed, "Whom do you want me to be angry at? Esther? Mikael? Our terrible town council for driving away, the rightful owners of the land?"

Tyler mulled over her words. It was true; if Bonnie wanted to be angry, the list of people she needed to be angry at, was endless.

Bonnie stole Tyler's cup and gulped down the coffee in one go. "But I do daydream about boiling the Mikaelsons alive from time to time," she admitted with a smile.

"Why do you smile when you are saying such things? It's creepy," Tyler shuddered. It had unsettled him the most.

Bonnie smiled her way through threatening Vicki. It reminded Tyler of Klaus, gloating over his enemies.

"I used to work customer service," Bonnie said, “Smiling no matter what was mandatory.” She sidled away towards the diagram.

"Pro-tip. If you work for McD's, never agree to do the closing shift," she said in a conspiratorial tone. "I can't imagine you flipping burgers," Tyler voiced out. 

"It was honest work. Besides. There ain't many other job opportunities for a college dropout, Ty," Bonnie chuckled. The college had been the farthest thing on Bonnie's mind when she left Mystic Falls.

She blew away her funds traveling the world, ahem, running from her problems. And paid the price, when she made her way back home.

"But you said you made a lot of money as a witch?" Tyler inquired. "Hunger helped overcome my hangups about using magic for 'selfish' purpose," Bonnie replied.

"And magic helped regain my self," she mused. Magic had set Bonnie free. It gave her the means to express and protect herself. It was had stayed when everything else deserted her.

Tyler looked at Bonnie staring at the diagram with distant eyes. "Can I come tomorrow? To watch you break the curse?" Tyler blurted out.

Bonnie startled, "Why?" Tyler struggled to come up with an explanation better than 'I-wanna-watch.' He didn't want Bonnie to feel like a freak show.

The sun came up as they sat, looking at each other. Bonnie smirked, "The comet crosses at 11.30 tonight. Don't be late." 

Tyler smiled and stretched, "God, I can't wait to go back home and sleep the day away." Bonnie griped, "And I got to meet the girls at the town square in three hours."

Tyler flinched as Bonnie downed the thermos full of paint-thinning coffee. "You are going to give yourself a heart attack," he scolded. Bonnie shrugged, "At this point, I'm ready to drink gasoline if it will help me get through today."

____

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BLACK SEA BY NATASHA BLUME IS WHAT I IMAGINE DARKO!BONNIE’S AESTHETIC TO BE. THESE ARE THE VERSES I FEEL SUIT HER MOST:
> 
> A thousand nights have passed  
> Change doesn't happen overnight  
> Not visible at first (no)  
> It's important to hold on, hold on


	6. I won't get tired, set the town on fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay. Part 1 of comet day  
> Again, warning y'all: Bonnie is not very sympathetic in this...

6 AM SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE 

Stefan crushed the bullet between his fingers. A half-full glass of blood and a half-empty bottle of aspirin sat before him. He'd taken off his blood and brain-matter stained jacket; didn't matter; his collar still reeked. 

"What is Damon doing here?" Zach wandered into the den. Stefan shifted the glass, "He's here because I'm here. He enjoys making my life miserable."

"He’s putting us at risk," Zach warned. Stefan agreed. But he couldn't throw his brother out when people knew. He didn't want a rerun of 1864; he wasn't losing Damon too. "I'll deal with it," Stefan reassured. 

"Like you took care of the girl from the party?" Damon interrupted. He slouched on top of the staircase. His unbuttoned shirt showed off the slow-healing chest wound. 

"At least I don't need you to rob blood banks for me," Stefan taunted. "I would heal quicker if I can get blood from a vein," Damon retorted, "You should've brought me a human to feed. One of your classmates would've done in a pinch. "

"So you can bring the town down on us?" Stefan asked, "You were already attacked for trying to feed, once." Damon hummed, "You could let me eat Zach." Zach stiffened. Stefan rubbed at the scabbing bullet wound, "Leave him out of this."

"Did you find her?" Damon asked. "I have a lead," Stefan evaded. "What's with the lag? Short, cute, and psycho. Is it so hard?" Damon scolded. “You're lying," Damon declared, "You know." Stefan pocketed the bullet, "If you feel that way, you're free to walk out and get killed."

Damon zipped into Stefan's space. He sniffed and grinned, "Look at you! Waking up and smelling the blood at last! Who did you feed on, brother? Elena? Her skanky friend Caroline? Some other cheerleader from school?" 

Stefan's jaw ticked, "I didn't drink human blood." Damon blew a raspberry, "Sure." Zach picked up Stefan's bloodied jacket, "You said you had it under control." Stefan furrowed his brows, "I do."

Zach sighed, "Please, Uncle Stefan. Mystic Falls is a different place now. It's been quiet for years, but some people still remember. You being here, it's going to stir things up." 

Stefan bowed his head, "It's not my intention." Zach rubbed his brow, "Then what is? Why did you come back? After all this time, why now?" Damon scoffed, "Same reason he's trying to date Elena. To feel alive; human."

Stefan clutched the glass, "I don't have to explain myself." Zach sighed, "I know that you can't change what you are. But you don't belong here anymore." 

The glass cracked in Stefan's hand and veins fluttered beneath his eyes, "Where do I belong then?" Zach stepped back, "I can't tell you what to do. But coming back here was a mistake." 

Damon laughed, "Looks like you sacred poor Zach, brother." Stefan closed his eyes, "I'm sorry Zach. I'm... I had a tough night.” Zach sighed and left the vampires to soak in the sunrise. 

He hesitated at the doorway and muttered, "I hope she’s worth it, Uncle Stefan; this girl you came back for." Stefan pretended he hadn't heard that.

____

8 AM BENNETT HOUSEHOLD

Bonnie took a swig of Monster Energy. "Stop moving around," Sheila chided as she combed Bonnie's hair. The space buns took much care; Bonnie looked beautiful in them.

Bonnie made a face as she swallowed the mouthful. Coffee wasn’t cutting it anymore; Monster was the last resort. “Grams, whatcha doing for comet night?” Bonnie picked at the tab of the can. 

“Going to bed early,” Sheila replied, “So be home before midnight. Okay?” Bonnie blew a curl out of her face, “Very funny, Grams. I asked about witchy stuff.”

“Like?” Sheila asked, laying Bonnie’s edges. “Charging crystals? Chanting together? Casting curses? Hexing Mrs. Lockwood?” Bonnie supplied. Sheila chuckled, “I stopped a long time ago, baby. And Carol isn’t that bad.”

“She accused you of selling weed brownies during the last bake sale,” Bonnie griped. “She got jealous. I outsold every other stall, Bonnie. It doesn’t bother me. But it might bother Tyler if you hex his mother,” Sheila said, eyes twinkling.

“Tyler’s gonna have to learn to deal because his mother’s a raging bi-“ Bonnie winced and changed tacks- “big bad girl.” Sheila laughed, “Don't fret, baby girl. Nature always finds balance.”

“Right,” Bonnie muttered. Nature was a drunk bitch, driving with blinkers off. The rules only existed for those who followed them. Living without rules was more fun. They all died in the end, anyway.

Sheila cupped Bonnie’s face. “You might not believe it. But it’s true. Nature will always give its due,” Sheila promised, kissing her forehead. Bonnie kept her mouth shut and basked in Sheila’s warmth. 

Bonnie threw the Monster can in the bedside garbage bin when she spotted a cute-looking jar on the dresser. “What do we have here?” Bonnie grabbed it. “Something I made for your skin protection,” Sheila said. 

Bonnie scooped some and smelled it. Her lips twisted to keep the smirk away. Protection, alright. “Thank you, Grams.” Bonnie slathered it on, rubbing the cream into her skin.

“Anytime,” Sheila smiled, “Love the shirt, by the way.” The red plaid shirt matched Bonnie’s capris well. Bonnie turned up her collar, beaming, “Thanks!” Sheila chuckled at her granddaughter’s enthusiasm, "Come let's find something to eat."

____

Matt surfed the TV channels rubbing at his grumbling stomach. Sheila wouldn’t mind if he grabbed something from the pantry. But he didn’t want to overstep. 

This home had been his refuge once; Sheila raised him and Vicki for all purposes. The Bennett house had been his oasis and sanctuary. Till he’d started dating Elena. Then he’d migrated to the Gilberts’.

The Gilberts had taken him in as one of theirs. They gave him a family; a father, a mother; aunts and uncles, and brothers. He'd hoped he would belong right there, with them, forever. 

Now the Gilberts were gone and Elena… He shook his head. Matt hadn’t been back under Sheila’s roof until Bonnie gave that back to him. Just like old times. 

When Bonnie had decided to befriend the poor dumb kid that everybody made fun of. When Bonnie dragged him to games and birthday parties. When she'd egged him on into trying out for the team. 

When people called him white trash and she'd spring up in his defense. His first best friend. And best best friend. Matt smiled, thinking of that little girl, who would tower over everyone in her righteous wrath.

“Mattie. You ready?” Vicki walked in, patting down her wet hair. Bonnie could blackmail her any day if Vicki could have such amazing showers every day. 

Not that Vicki was gunning to go to the cops; she wasn’t much of a law-abiding citizen herself. But Bonnie didn’t need to know that. 

“Thank God. I thought I would have to tear you out of the bathroom myself,” Matt teased. Vicki slapped Matt’s head, “Ass.” Matt groaned, “Stop abusing me!” 

“Who’s abusing whom?” Bonnie asked, making both the Donovans jolt. “Somebody needs to bell you,” Vicki complained, “Why are you so quiet?” Bonnie shrugged. 

It was a useful habit to have when you were hunting down the creatures of the night. She thought about resuming her witch-for-hire career after regaining her magic. But Grams might not approve; she hadn’t; even as a ghost. 

“My baby is a cute little kitty,” Sheila gushed. Matt burst out laughing while Bonnie groaned, “Grams!” Vicki snorted; yeah right, a murderous little kitten. “Oh, is little kitty angry?” Matt ribbed. “I’ll bite you, Mathew,” Bonnie warned.

Vicki shivered; ‘bite’ made her think of that Damon guy. “Someone is hungry,” Matt cackled. His stomach grumbled. Matt flushed and looked down. Bonnie laughed and slapped his shoulder, “Come, Matty boy. Let’s make some sandwiches.”

Matt and Bonnie spilled into the kitchen, laughing. Vicki shook away the uneasiness, happy to see her brother enjoying himself. Matt had become miserable after Elena dumped him. Bonnie could be so charming. 

“Are you alright, child?” Sheila asked, laying a comforting hand on Vicki’s shoulder. Vicki managed a smile, “I’m fine, ma’am.” ‘I watched your granddaughter kill a man’, she thought to herself. 

How would Sheila react if the cops came for Bonnie? Tyler would make it out of jail; his dad would take care of it. But Bonnie? Vicki suspected Mr. Bennett could pay off a murder charge.

In some ways, Bonnie’s home life mirrored Vicki’s. One runaway parent and one absentee parent. And Sheila, the only parent either of them had ever known. 

Sheila who taught Vicki about periods. Sheila, who had the birds-and-bees talk with her. Sheila, who soothed the lashes of Kelly's sharp tongue. Who cried when she found Vicki stealing her pain pills. 

Vicki decided. She wasn’t going to snitch on Bonnie; no matter what. She owed that to Sheila.

____

8.30 AM LOCKWOOD MANSION

Carol watched her husband as she buttered her toast. Richard's voice was pleasant, but his face told a different story. "Yes, Mrs.Fell. I understand. Don't worry. I will take care of it," Richard grit his teeth, "You are welcome." 

As soon as the call ended, Richard changed. The phone shattered against the wall. Carol, used to such displays of violence, bit into her toast.

Richard grabbed some coffee. "Are you sure that's a good idea, dear? You are already riled up," Carol said in a mild voice. She watched a maid sweep the destroyed phone away. 

"That entitled bitch wanted me to make her good-for-nothing daughter's DUI disappear! Forbes would eat me alive. You know how anal she is with DUIs," Richard complained.

"If Tyler grew up into such a wastrel I'll kill him myself," he fumed. "Tyler will never do that. He's a good son. You know how the Fells are. Leave it to me," Carol soothed.

If anyone could bend Liz's stellar morals, it was Carol. Best friends since diapers, they'd made a pact to name their kids after each other. When Liz had Caroline, Carol had been ecstatic. 

Their daughters would continue their friendship in the next generation. But Carol had a boy instead. She hoped Tyler was smart enough to make Caroline, her future daughter-in-law.

"Where is Tyler?" Richard asked. Carol sighed; they could go one day without Richard berating their son. "Look at the time! You are gonna be late for the office, honey," Carol said. 

"Stop coddling him. Where is that waste of space?" Richard thundered. "Calm down, Richard," Carol started. 

"Where's Tyler?" Richard turned to the butler. "The young master is asleep, sir," he replied. Richard stormed off. Carol shot the butler a withering look before hurrying after her husband.

Richard burst into Tyler's room, ripping apart the curtains. Golden Virginian sun spilled in, illuminating a stuffy room, with antique furniture. A PC cowered in the corner, hidden by a showcase full of cups and medals.

"WAKE UP, YOU WORTHLESS LITTLE PARASITE!" Richard bellowed. Tyler lurched out of his bed, groping for a weapon. He frowned when he saw Richard. "Dad? What's up?" he rubbed his eyes. 

"Moron! Get your pansy-ass out there and take part in the community. No wonder you lost the captaincy to that Donovan trash!" Richard shoved Tyler making him stumble. 

"I'll go, Dad. I need rest right now," Tyler backed away from Richard. Richard followed him with a sneer, "Rest? You worked SO hard that YOU need rest?! You dumb little mooch. What are you good for? Huh?"

Richard pushed at Tyler. "Dad stop," Tyler tried to evade Richard's hands. Carol arrived, aggravated, "Richard, leave him alone." Richard backhanded him, "Nothing!" Tyler caught his hand midair and Richard's eyes bulged. "Why you little..." 

Tyler tightened his grip, making Richard wince. He stared his father down, "Raise your hand against my one. More. Time..." Tyler paused letting Richard see his anger. Richard paled. 

Carol interrupted, " Tyler! He's your father! Show him some respect." Tyler sneered, "I will. When he acts like one." He slunk into the bathroom. And listened, till his parents left his room. 

It was stupid. Tyler had faced down much greater threats. Was this how Klaus felt when he saw Mikael? He shook his head; It was too early for that. He hoped the day went better than its start.

____

8.30 AM BENNETT HOUSEHOLD

"Here's your grilled cheese!" Bonnie slid the plate towards Vicki. Vicki sniffed; the mouthwatering smell of melting cheese overcame her fear of poisoning. That cheese was worth dying for. 

"And your turkey sandwich," Bonnie placed another plate before Sheila. A car honked outside. "Must be the girls," Bonnie said, looking towards the door.

"Ask them to come in and eat," Sheila said. Bonnie nodded and stuck her head out the window, "Guys! Come in!" Vicki sighed, "Here come the Plastics." Matt clucked his tongue, "Play nice, Vi." Sheila winked, making Vicki grin. 

Now Sheila had no bone to pick with either girl. But Bonnie tended to get lost in Elena and Caroline's shadow and their petty rivalry. Sheila feared; Bonnie spent all her time cheering others on; she might never live herself.

"Hi Grams!" Caroline bounced in, followed by Elena's shy, "Hey Mrs. Bennett." Matt melted when he saw Elena. Vicki rolled her eyes; her brother was so whipped. 

Bonnie snapped her fingers, "Get me my sammich, pool pooch." Matt shuddered, "Don't bring that up. Ever again," before heading back into the kitchen. Bonnie laughed; that name had chased Matt off the pool guard duty.

Elena asked, "Pool pooch?" Matt made a face, "Don't ask." Bonnie giggled; Mrs. Weber had coined that nickname. How one lady could drown so many times in the kiddie pool was a mystery to Bonnie. And it would always happen when Matt was on duty. 

"Why are they here?" Caroline demanded in a whisper. Bonnie shrugged, "We had a sleepover. What do you guys wanna eat?" Elena refused, saying she'd already had breakfast. 

"BLT," Caroline asked,"Why wasn't I invited to this sleepover?" Bonnie pointed out, "You slept over the day before. Don't you wanna spend time with your mom?"

"My mom couldn't bother to make time for me. Why should I care about her?" Caroline jeered. "Well. I haven't heard from my mom in fourteen years. Count your blessings, Care. Also, tell the sheriff to get a physical." 

Elena added, "And your mom isn't dead." The 'Like mine', had been implied. Matt looked like he wanted to vault over to comfort Elena. Caroline rolled her eyes. 

Bonnie sat up; hoping to stop Caroline before she made some insensitive remark. Vicki quipped, "Sometimes I wish my mom was dead."

"Vicki!" Matt exclaimed, aghast. Sheila grimaced and Elena gave her trademark 'I-don't-approve-but-I'd rather-pout-than-call-you-out' face. Caroline gasped, gearing up for a speech.

And Bonnie. Giggled. Everybody turned to look at her. "What?" Bonnie asked. Caroline frowned, "She said she wanted to see her mother die! Her. Mother." Bonnie cocked an eyebrow, "So?"

"That's a horrible thing to say, Bonnie. No matter what. Kelly IS Vicki's mom," Elena explained. Bonnie frowned; had they always been this condescending with her?

"Yeah. My mom is atrocious. You don't see me wishing death on her!" Caroline said. Bonnie couldn't stop her incredulous laugh. These girls.

"What's so funny, Bonnie?" Caroline sounded annoyed. Bonnie shook her head, "You won't wanna hear it." Caroline demanded, "Say it. Now." 

Bonnie inhaled, "Look, Am not saying you guys have it easy or something. Everybody's got their own troubles but. My God. Your parents are ANGELS. How would you know anything about bad parents?"

Bonnie pointed at Caroline, "Your mom fought for your custody. But you do nothing but badmouth her and blame her for driving your dad away. If my child did that, I'd pack them off to their other parent's place. "

Bonnie turned to Elena, "I know your parents are gone and your brother is a druggie. But holy mother of Maud! If I were Jenna, I would've gone, 'nope' and sent the two of you to John. Or, into foster care." 

"That's enough Bon," Matt stepped to bat, "What Vicki said is wrong. Don't defend her by putting down your friends." Bonnie frowned at him, "I'm only saying nobody gets to police how someone should feel about their own parents."

"Our mom might not be the best. But she's trying. She has her good days and bad days," Matt defended. "Like she cares about anybody other than herself," Vicki sneered. 

Matt scowled, "That ain't true. She scolds you only because she doesn't want you to waste your life." Vicki's chair clattered back, "She stole MY money skipped away with Pete. She's a saint? Shut your stupid mouth!"

Matt froze, bread slice in hand. Pindrop silence reigned in the room. "That's not true," Matt whispered. "Huh? WHY do you think she won't come back despite your daily begging?" Vicki rebutted.

Matt looked ashen. Bonnie tugged the bread out of his hand and murmured, "If you were going to say 'You are lying', you can shut up now." Matt pursed his lips and looked down. "Talk to her later. Alone," Bonnie whispered. Matt nodded.

Vicki looked up at the suddenly-quiet Matt. "What? Don't have any more crimes to accuse me with?" Vicki jeered. Sheila cleared her throat, "Vicki, baby. No fighting at the table." Vicki flushed and mumbled, "Sorry, Grams." 

Bonnie frowned, "Why are you calling her baby, Grams? I'M your baby. Nobody else." Vicki stuck out her tongue at Bonnie. Grams laughed. Matt and Elena smiled, while Caroline rolled her eyes.

Matt pulled out Bonnie and Caroline's sandwich as Bonnie finished putting together Matt's sandwich. The duo carried the plates over to the table. Bonnie put a small platter of fruits before Elena and got a small smile in return.

Caroline reached out to take a plate from Matt, who pulled away. "Sorry, that's Bonnie's." Caroline huffed and took the other plate, "What's so special about Bonnie's?"

Matt sighed, "No human being can eat her sandwich. Trust me." Bonnie grinned and clapped her hands, "Oooh. Did you make the Special?" Matt nodded. 

Bonnie made a swooning motion, "I love you." Matt grinned, "I know." Bonnie nudged at his rib and added, "Dumbass." Matt dodged her elbow with a chuckle, "YOUR Dumbass."Bonnie sighed, "Unfortunately."

They sat next to each other, grinning and biting into their sandwiches together. "I want a taste too," Caroline whined. "Don't you want to know what's in it first?" Matt cautioned.

"What's in it?" Vicki queried, curious. "Nope. Opening the sandwich will change its taste," Bonnie protested. "Gimme a bite. How bad can it be?" Caroline pressed.

"You asked for it," Bonnie said, cutting out a small piece from hers. Caroline took the bit, eying it carefully. "Don't open it," Bonnie reminded her. "Fine," Caroline huffed and popped the bit into her mouth.

In five seconds, Caroline's face turned brick red. She panted, fanning herself. Matt laughed while Bonnie handed her a cold glass of milk, smirking.

"What the hell was in that?" Caroline muttered, three full glasses in. Elena rejoined, "Yeah. What was in that, Matt?" Matt coughed, coming down from his uproarious laughing fit. 

"Matt," Bonnie raised an eyebrow at him. Matt shrugged at Elena, "Sorry, El. It's a secret." Sheila leaned in, "Even from me?" Bonnie giggled, "Yes Grams. It's OUR secret recipe. No can do!"

Vicki looked on, keen, as Matt and Bonnie shared another smile before going back to their food, unmindful of Elena's fallen expression and Caroline's intrigued looks. Sheila bit into her sandwich with a look of consideration. Maybe it was time Sheila paid more attention to her granddaughter's life.

___

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somebody had asked me about my update schedule. I'm sorry dear. I'm pretty chaotic with deadlines and I have a bad case of procrasti-perfectionism which SUCKS. If you have stuck with me inspite of the 4 month break: THANK YOU!!! Idk if someone said this to you today but I love you!!! Each and every single one of you leaving kudos and comments here give a me little much needed boost of serotonin! I'm sorry I may forget to reply and stretch out the time too far that it becomes inappropriate to reply. But I want you to know I treasure every single one of them! Looking forward to seeing your username in my notifications again!  
> If you are new here, HI!! Hope you have a good time! I update pretty erratically but I will finish this if its the last thing I do.


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